Hamesha, Yours!

-28-

-Mumbai: Malhotra Mansion-

The night went through, tough and silent. With everyone exhausted, they all had decided to sleep over it and talk the next day- the next day that started in silence again. Breakfast was done but only the four friends sat there swirling on their food. Aliya pushed her chair back and went upstairs to check on Manik. 

Aliya had enough of this mum hushes between them. She knew the three people in front of her made sense among each other and chose to give the fourth one, who slept upstairs, his chance even though he blocked everyone. But, she had had enough.  

She was weary of what happened yesterday between him and Harshad. She wasn't able to contact Harshad over the night or in the morning but she had a gut feeling he was okay. Like Mukti and Dhruv assured her, he was Harshad after all and it was Manik after all. Fights were never as serious as the death-bed. 

 But his time to play his cards alone was up, it was time to switch. She had barely put herself and him back together, she couldn't loose more. Enemy or not, she couldn't keep Harshad, her brother, in such a weird position. Friend or not, she couldn't leave Manik bleeding. Fab 5 or not, she couldn't hold up to this irking silence. They all had to choose one path and not dangle in the middle and stretch her abilities of accommodation. Without further adieu to finally put stuff at an end, she knocked on the door and entered in without permission. He had to listen what so ever.   

"Get up!" she spoke calmly. Manik rubbed his eyes open and sat up. 

"What?"

"You didn't sleep last night, did you?" she narrowed her eyes and sat besides him on the bed. 

"Yesterday had barely any hours left, so wasted them."

"Proud of it, huh?" she scoffed but came back to the point, "You shouldn't be."

"Why?" he cringed.  "I dealt with my problems my way, as she said. Though, I did fall in the rage and I do regret that but, I didn't come in anyone else's way. I faced him."

"You know you are an idiot." Aliya stated. "It's not a film, Manik, ki mara and it's all done. It doesn't work like that. Your aggression- it hurts you today- don't you see that. You said you regret it. You did punch past in the face but you didn't deal with it to end the topic. You added on top of it. Your anger won't take you anymore but mask your problems."

"That's what he said before I left!" Manik recalled. 

"Of course." Aliya pointed out. "Manik face it but to resolve it. Why do you listen to things half-way?"

"Why can't we just give up on this, Aliya?" Manik sighed tiredly, "I'm tired of this "change". Whatever I try, whatever I do. I end up wrong. I end up in a mess. I end up alone and in fights or drunk. I can never change. She should have known, I am a stone. You and her are trying for no reason. I am meant to be alone. I am meant to be like this, Nyonika and dad made that clear early on in my life. I was just blind to not see it. I can only do harm to you and her."

"Don't give up, Manik, not now." she comforted him a bit, "Not after when we have come so far!"

"Where do you want to go with this, Aliya?" Manik huffed, "Why are you stuck to me? Don't you see this is going no where? I still stand in a mess of fights between Fab5, me and Harshad. I am still where we all started from and even she isn't here. I can only push people away. I can be no better. I can't better without hurting anyone."

"Fight no fight, I am always here because I know that this frivolousness is hard. Fab 5 or not, Nandini or not."

"Aliya!" he blared.