Zehnaseeb

27. Alive

Manik sat on floor with a thud while everyone gathered around him. Soon his phone started ringing. He looked at phone blankly. Ansh's name was flashing. He kept looking at the call. Mac came forward and answered.

"Hello Manik?"

"Sir, Mac here."

"Mac? Where's Manik? I need to talk to him. It's urgent." Mac looked at Manik who was numb.

"Sir, Manik sir isn't responding. He just saw the news of Bomb blast and.."

"Bring him to the construction site. Fast."

"Ok sir."

Mac shook Manik after ending the call. Manik looked at him.

"Sir, Ansh sir called you at construction site immediately. Let's go-" before Mac could complete Manik was running out of office like a mad. Mac ran behind him. All employees were stunned to see their boss like this.

_______________

Manik screeched the car near construction site. There was police, ambulance and so much crowd. He jumped out of car and ran towards site. Police held him back. He was jerking them with full force.

"Leave me. No! Let me go inside. My Golu is there inside. She needs me. Let me goooo. She needs me. Chodo mujhe! Leave meeee!" Manik was shouting like mad. Ansh came running hearing his voice and hold him.

"Manik, manik relax. Sab thik hai. Everything is fine. Manik listen to me." Ansh tried to talk.

"Ansh tu pagal hogaya hai. Nandini andar hai. Usey humari zaroorat hai. How can you be so relax? Ask them to leave me. I need to go. Nandiniiiii!" Manik shouted and tried to get free.

Ansh tried to say something but Manik wasn't in condition to listen. He had gone insane. Having enough of this, Ansh shouted.

"Enough Manik Malhotra. Meri behen andar nahi hain. Nandini is safe! Suna tumne? Nandini is all safe and sitting over there. Look from your eyes." Hearing his shout Manik went quiet and his eyes moved to the direction Ansh showed. He felt his heart started beating again.

There, his Nandini was sitting on chair and having water. Seeing him getting calm, police left him while he walked towards her with slow steps. Ansh walked behind him. Feeling someone's gaze Nandini looked at her side and found Manik coming towards her. She looked at him with teary eyes.

Manik dropped on his knees infront of her and cupped her face. His tears fell. Ansh kept hand on his shoulder. He looked at Ansh and confirmed.

"G-Golu theek hain?" Ansh nodded with tears. Manik smiled wide and hugged Nandini sobbing hard. Nandini hugged him back.

"You're fine. You're fine. Nothing happened to you. My golu is fine. All fine." He kept on blabbering while sobbing. Nandini cried too.

"M-Manik. Sshh. Calm down. Main theek hu. Dekho mujhe." She managed to speak. He looked so vulnerable. So scared. Scared of loosing her.

Manik kept hugging her tight while crying but soon his cries subsided and Nandini felt his whole weight on her. She slowly looked at his face breaking the hug and got shocked seeing his closed eyes.

"Manik! Bhai, dekho Manik ko kya hua. Manik! Manik utho." She shouted crying. Ansh held Manik and patted his cheek.

"Manik, hey buddy, open your eyes." He immediately called for help while few people helped him to get in car. Nandini sat beside him while Ansh on driver sit. She was sobbing badly.

"M-Manik.. Manik aankhe kholo. Dekho main thik hu. Utho na." She cried hugging him close to her heart. Ansh was driving at high speed towards hospital.