Cordially, Yours!

-52 and 53-

"Out I said!"

Manik's threatening voice clattered in the room as Nandini tried her luck at hope again. His shudder made her realize that may be time had done it's job and they had come too far, too far to go back and too far to move ahead. 

As much as Fab 5 didn't want to leave a raging Manik alone with Nandini, they had no option nut to hope that a personal talk would sort out the differences. They gave an apologetic look to Nandini, who seemed the least threatened by Manik's wrath, and walked out of the room with their heads lowered.

"You are being ludicrous" he continued in distressed.

"Of course, I am" Nandini replied sarcastically. She had given up. If time had done its thing and then, she would allow it to take it's course to make him realize what she wanted him see. She had given up the past few months, a few more would hurt but, it would be all for the better.

"I have nothing to offer, Manik. I have said that before too." she said in a low voice and turned away from his enchanting eyes- her weakness, humesha. Someone had to end this chase, so may be she would be it- she had decided that and this was the finale.

Though much had gone past him, her determination hadn't gone over his head. His pair of eyes saw it crystal while her pair of misty eyes saw him being as lost as a foggy silhouette.

"You pride yourself in heart breaking!" he snickered. "And why not, akhir you were a part of NH4- Harshad's team. Carrying on the legacy?"

His claim sickened her but only added to her song that he was long gone. Nandini's eyes watered at his harshness but, she gulped in and muttered lowly,

"We are still there! Right there and not moved an inch! I am happy for that. Fab 5 are still like the old days- still so important to you, and I'm still a part of NH4. Everything, then is fine- just like old days, right!"

She had said what she had, she had done what she had to- they were going no where. It pinched her to her depths and unable to take in his presence anymore, she walked off from the room leaving him all alone muddled in her questions and words. It was his puzzle to solve- a puzzle that even though she tried to show him the answer to, he would only refuse to agree and accept.

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Manik stood rooted to the ground after Nandini left. She had changed- it was engraved in his heart and till now, this changed Nandini, though came up to his mark but didn't soothe his marks. She was distant and cold reminding him more of the days when he realized Nyonika's true colors. Where did they get? How did they even get here? It all bewildered him. It was a puzzle for him to understand this new layered Nandini, and keep a grip on sanity and facts. Everything was too fast, too rushed. He wanted to break, pause and be guided.

It wasn't long after that he had wished for this when his phone vibrated in his pocket. He dug deep into his blue jeans and fished out his phone which flashed "Dad".

Perfect.

He let out a sigh and cleared his voice ready to project his bravest, happiest self. He slid his finger on the green button and a chirpy, comforting voice came through.

"Son!" Mr. Malhotra tired from the other side. "How are you? And how is that bandroon ki fauj?"

"Good. We all are good, dad!" Manik said in a wavering voice and pushed a smile on his face in the hope it would add to the tonality. But who was he fooling, his Dad? Mr. Malhotra?

Mr. Malhotra's heart shrunk at his Manik's double meaning sentence. Though he knew Manik didn't intend to be that way, he knew that the sentence meant much more than a response. It was a reassurance, but to whom? He was proud that Manik didn't burst into tears on the phone and braved to deal with his matters on his own, he told him to do so, but it also broke him that he didn't burst into tears on the phone. He didn't consider him to be his and an ally in his problems. He heaved internally at his thoughts and chose to direct them openly to Manik. Since the years of developing faith and trust had already passed and the seed of doubt was embedded by Nyonika, open words were the only way he had to mend their relation.