UN-RAVEL : The inner strength.....

UN-RAVEL 36....

Hello peeps.... how are you all doing?
Thank you for your votes and comments in the previous part. I noticed that a lot of you share the same concerns about having the Manan moments with Zamira. Don't worry she will get her fair share soon. Today is a whole lot beautiful chapter I hope you guys like it and feel satisfied to some extend.

A hearty THANK YOU to the ones who have nominated me on Readers Choice Awards. Your support means the world to me.

Love you guys loads and stay tuned.....

36....
 

Dark clouds start hovering over the clear blue sky of the New York City. The weather turns ominously dark. It seems like darkness is hovering over the place as clouds impinged. The thunder stroke heavily as a silver lightening hit the ground as dash of beam. The rain drops drummed against the window panes and all of a sudden the bright weather turned into gloomy darkness.

The thudding sound of rain woke Zamira up with a jerk. She looked around her room which is completely dark by now. Another sound of thunder makes her turn towards the windows through which she sees the rainy dark weather outside. Something about it is highly disturbing. She stretches her arm to turn on the lights but the light flickers she looks for her phone but she can't find it. A loud thud sound startled her as she presses her hand to her heart to feel her beats and tries calming herself down. Getting up from the bed she gets out of her room and the floor is dimly lit. Maybe she slept for to long and now everyone is asleep. She thought. She would have preceded going back to her room but her thirsty throat forced her to walk down to the kitchen. The thundering and echoing of rain continued.

As she walks down the foyer she sees a dark silhouette walk towards the living room where someone is sitting and watching television and that's the only source of light in the living room. Out of curiosity she walks down towards the living room herself. She sees Manik watching television with Nandani by his side and seeing her parents together makes her smile. She focuses a little more on the silhouette but she can't see the person. After a few seconds some light falls on him. His face starts becoming clear so Zamira can see the person. She recognizes him as Mac, their driver but really a spy. She is shocked to see him. So she walks forward until she has a clear view of Mac and her dad. Mac slowly takes out a gun from the waistline of his jean and points it right towards Manik. Zamira freezes at her place as she sees him pointing the gun right on Manik. She tries shouting, speaking or even tries whispering but as if her voice stops in her throat and her body is paralyzed.

But thank to god Manik sees Mac himself out of reflex he stands up to look right into Mac's eyes. Mac raises the gun and points it at Manik's forehead. Zamira stands right in front of them as this happens.

In a blink of an eye the bullet is shot and hits right in the middle of Manik's forehead. Zamira sees the bullet pierce his skull and his skin wither open with blood spluttering. Manik's eyes roll in his socket as his body falls slowly. Zamira looks at him as he falls under the effect of gravity. She sees him die. She sees him take his last breath. Her entire world comes crashing down. All she knows is even before she has her father he is gone. Right in front of her eyes he is shot and she did nothing but see him being shot. She feels dazed and being weak in her knees falls unconscious.


Zamira gets up huffing loudly, her breath is hitched in her throat and her entire body is precipitating while she starts hyperventilating. She looks more dead with her eyes open wide. She looks around to find herself in her room but what just happened in front of her eyes. She looks around as she tries to breath properly but can't. She hurriedly stands up from her bed and runs out of her room. She trips on her feet as she hits the wooden case in the corridor and falls but the fall didn't hurt her rather she lost her senses and got up ignoring the itching pain in her legs and ran as fast as she could down the foyer. She looks around searching for someone to appear out of anywhere but she can't see anyone. She rushes to the living room and the only person that catches her eyes is Manik. Everyone else just blurs away from her view.

Manik is laughing while talking to Cabir as he cracked a joke and so is everyone else. None of them saw Zamira come there. As soon as Zamira's eyes laid on Manik she ran forgetting everything towards him and hugged him with every single fiber of energy she had in herself. As soon as she hugged him she bursts into tears crying loudly, scaring the living day light out of Manik.

Manik is taken aback as he sees something rather someone rush in front of him and engulf him in a life dependent bone crushing hug. In seconds he realised the one to hug him is, Zamira. And the only sound anyone can hear is of her wailing loudly. She is screaming, huffing, sweaty and very very scared.

Zamira's fingers wrap around the back of Manik's clothes taking them into a strong grip.  So strong that she might even tear the cloth apart. Her tears soak the shoulder of his shirt while. As if seeing him alive with her eyes wasn't enough she needed to feel presence and the more tightly she hugged the more she made herself aware of his presence.

"Zu...." Manik tries to pull her apart to look at her face but instead she hugs him more tightly. So Manik creases her hair and asks softly, "What's wrong baccha?"

As if Zamira just can't hear his question but she did hear him the only thing is she couldn't her voice all she is doing is hugging him and crying.

"Zamira.... kya hua baccha?" Manik tries asking again but to no avail.

"Zamira did you see a bad dream?" Abhinander guesses as he realised that she was sleeping till now.

Zamira just nods as she continues to cry but Manik takes a sigh of relief being thankful that nothing happened to her.

Nandani creases Zamira's hair, "Do you want to tell what the dream was?"

Zamira lifts her face to look at Manik as the image of the bullet in his head and his eyes rolled back comes in front of her eyes and all she can do is cry even harder hiding her face in the crook of his neck.

Manik, "Shh..... it's okay baccha it was just a bad dream. Don't worry. I am here nothing has happened." Zamira just couldn't help and cried even harder making everyone worried about what she saw. All of them just couldn't think of anything that would be so bad which can make her cry so much.

But as they say whatever goes in the mind of a child can't stay hidden from the mother. Nandani as if had that in her gut so she asked creasing Zamira's hair, "Did you see someone die?" Everyone looks at her shocked not prepared for that kind of thing and pretty sure that it wasn't true. Zamira nodded her head making all of them realise what went so wrong to make her cry being this vulnerable.

"Was it papa?" Manik looks at Nandani in disbelief of her question but the words make Zamira tighten her hold on Manik and engulf a little more into him even if that was possible and she nodded her head in agreement. Nandani looked at her with a painful smile.

While Manik couldn't even imagine what just happened. Zamira is crying her life out for past half an hour without stop because she saw a nightmare of him dying. He just couldn't take it as a bitter sweet emotion grew in him. His heart swelled with love and pain. He kissed the top of Zamira's head and whispered to her, "I am perfectly fine. Look at me Zamira I am right here with you. It was just a nightmare." Manik tries to console her but what will console her girl who saw her father die in front of her eyes even if it was just a nightmare. But for Zamira it was too real to be just a dream. She saw him and felt the pain and as if it just broke her. She continues to cry as no matter what anybody would say she just couldn't control her tears.

Like that an hour passed by and nobody moved an inch they just stared at Manik trying to comfort his daughter who is nowhere near stopping her tears and Nandani is creasing Zamira's back to calm her down. The family each one of them always wanted to see is sitting right in front of them. Though they have some misunderstandings and a really bitter moment is being felt by Zamira right now but they are together and just like a family.

Abhinebdra turns towards Tejaswani, "Finally I will be able to face bhaiya and bhabhi Teju."

Tejaswani wraps her arm around Abhinander's arm and nodding in agreement she rests her head on his shoulder, "You are right Abhi. Finally they are together just like a family. If bhaiya would be alive he would have been so happy today but I guess we should tell bhabhi for now."

Abhinendra nods in agreement. "You are right Teju."

Nandani being unable to see her daughter cry taps her shoulder but Zamira doesn't turn around so Nandani taps her shoulder again, "Hye.... Zara meri baat sun baccha." Zamira nods but doesn't turn. "Aunn hun..... dekh idhar." (Look at me.) Hearing her Zamira turns to look at Nandani.

"Buddhu bacche pata hai mere mumma ne bataya tha jin logon ko hum apne sapne me marte hue dekhte hain unki umar bohaat lambi hoti hai." (My silly girl, do you know my mom told me that the person whom we see die in our dreams has a very long life.) Nandani runs her tears off, "Now stop crying. Manik is right here and nothing has happened to him and nothing will happen to him. Stop crying now."

Zamira turns away from Nandani while cribbing and hugs Manik again who holds her safely and kisses her forehead. "Shh.... stop crying Zu."

This time Cabir who is sitting with Manik taps Zamira's shoulder and she looks out at him tilting her face slightly but tears still flow out of her eyes though she isn't wailing anymore. Cabir leans on the other side of Manik's shoulder, "Hye you are the reason behind scarcity of salt and water in the world."

Zamira looks at him confused. So he runs her cheek with one finger and shows her her tears, "This is sodium chloride and you are wasting it." He chuckles lightly.

"Ahhhhhh....." She slaps his arm lightly and cribs loudly for his pathetic sense of humor.

Manik too slaps Cabir's arm, "Shut up Cabir. How can you be so lame?"

Manik pushes him again but Zamira holds his hand and wraps it around her shoulder, "No." She says.

"Accha now stop crying or Cabir will throw more pjs." Manik says with a small smile and Zamira chuckles wiping her tears away but continues hugging Manik.

"Are you okay." She asks in a whisper.

"Ary I am fine. Totally fine. Kuch bhi nahi hua mujhe tere samne hi toh hun." (Nothing has happened to me I am sitting right in front of you.) Manik tells her with complete assurance and Zamira nods.

"What happened to her?" Savar asks looking at Zamira, as he comes to the living room.

Zamira looks at the two of them with her puffy eyes both looked super similar to each other.

"Nothing." Says Nandani.

As they continue to talk a little bit they all get disrupted by loud chattering coming from the entrance. Without warning Yuvaan hops right over Zamira in excitement making her push him away hard.

"What the hell bandar (monkey)?" She says a little irritated.

"Tujhe kya hua hai afat ki pudiya." (What happened to you Miss. Troublemaker?) Zamira slaps him on shoulder irritated.

"Are you crying?" Alishka asks looking at her red puffed tear stained eyes.

Zamira just casually nods rubbing her tears away.

"Aww cry baby...." Yuvaan says as he flaps his tongue at her.

"Urgh.... dono baap bete kitni irritating ho." (Urgh.... how irritating are you father and son duo.) She says slamming a cushion at him.

"Haww maine kya kiya?" (What did I do?) Cabir says innocently taking his stand.

"Papa.... dekho tang kar rahe hain dono." (Papa look at these two they are irritating me.) Zamira cribs to Manik who rolls his eyes at there of them.

"Oh why are you dragging Manik chahu in this, if you have guts talk to me straight." Yuvaan says raising his eyebrows and caller just like  as stud.

"Don't you dare question my guts you idiot." She punches him in the stomach and then rounding her hand on his shoulder kicks his leg as she corners him on table.

"Haye haye don't you dear get violent." Yuvaan says with his face pressed to the table very lightly. "I was just trying to cheer you up dumbo."

"Urgh... you are an idiot bandar." Zamira slaps him lightly on head.

"Stop it.... stop it both of you." Ivaan intervenes as Zamira releases Yuvaan and looks at him grumpily.

"What?" He says looking at her reaction.

"Why the hell he has to interfere?" Zamira asks Yuvaan who shrugs it away.

"He is mad that's why."

"Excuse me." Ivaan looks at them wide eyed as they team up against him.

"Samjha kar dumbo bachpan mai bichare ko chot lagi thi sir pe tabhi se thoda sathyaa hua hai ye." (Try to understand dumbo this guy got hit on his head in childhood that's why he has lost his senses.) Zamira chuckles at Yuvaan's words as they share a hi-fi.

"Chalain." (May we?") Yuvaan asks forwarding his hand and Zamira nods smiling as she takes it and rounding her arm with Yuvaan's hand she starts walking with him as they walk to go outside leaving Ivaan wide mouthed and others laughing at his condition.

"Kya hua tujhe?" (What happened to you?) Yuvaan asks once they are out of everyone's ear shot.

"I saw a nightmare. Like the worst one." She says leaning her head on Yuvaan's shoulder.

"Was there less chocolate in your doughnut." He asks pretending to be very thoughtful and Zamira laughed out at his words and expressions.

"No silly. I am obsessed with chocolate."

"Are you sure." Yuvaan asks with big eyes.

"Ahhhhhh..... means just a little bit...." she chuckles and so does he.

"Dad told messages me what happened." Yuvaan tells her.

"That's why you came." Yuvaan nods his head.

"And what about what I asked of you."

Yuvaan sighs and nods, "Don't worry I will take care of it."

"Yuvaan...." Yuvaan nods. "Thank you man."

"Shut up dumbo."

"No I am serious idiot. Thank you."

"If you say thanks one more time I swear I will never help you again." Zamira smiles as she remembers that how Yuvaan stayed up with her the night before they had to rescue Nandani and helped her deal with her anxiety and how he convinced everyone to allow her to be in concert today.

"I am pretty sure Ivaan would be thinking of 50 ways to screw up right now." Zamira laughs and nods.

"Haye.... do you want to do something fun." Yuvaan says as an idea strikes his mind.

"What?" Yuvaan looks at her mischievously and winks, "Lots of fun baby."

"I have no idea what you are saying." Zamira says as she is completely confused.

"Girl I am talking about Yoga.... It's a therapy.... The Prank Yoga Therapy. Helps relieve anxiety and is very good for a notorious brain. It gets your adrenaline rushing. Increase blood flow in body and blesses you mind, heart and soul. It's a very simple chemical formulation of paper, sticks, rolls and few other things taken in proper proportionality to justify the rhythm of life as we cover a geographic area of the city while there will be some chemical explosion in few people's lives." Zamira couldn't help laugh her heart out at Yuvaan's words and his facial expressions were just a cherry on top.

"What do you mean idiot?" Zamira finally manages to ask him through her heavy laughter. So Yuvaan starts explaining his plan leaving Zamira amused and rolling out of laughter.

"Can..... can..... hahahaha..... can this..... hahahaha..... oh my god....... can this happen..... hahaha?" She asks amid her laughter riot.

"Shri shri Yuvaan Dhawan ki sharan mai sab mumkin hai balika." Yuvaan says raising his hands in a way as if he blessing someone.

"Permission mile gi." Zamira asks.

"Narbhay ho kar tum apni sari chintain hum par chod do. Dushton ka nash karne ke liye aur iss mission impossible ko possible karne ke liye jitni be awasthayin karni hongi vo hum swayam karenge. Tum nish chint ho kar bas iss karyakram ka apna pawan hirday se pura anand lo."

"Jaise apka hukum ho." Zamira says as laughter just doesn't leaves her.

"Ayushmaan bhava." Saying that both of them start laughing.


To be continued....

Keep smiling
Be hopeful
Stay safe
Stay indoors
We can fight Corona Virus together
&
For now signing off
SHIVIKA....