Manan FF: Connected Hearts

20. Memories

"I am sorry to inform this sir, but they found a dead body in the lower level of hill and based on what description we have we concluded that it was Nandini mam but we need your confirmation so when you are ready please come to government hospital to confirm the body" the inspector spoke and then he left leaving three heartbroken people behind.

Manik had felt that his world just broke in front of him in pieces and same is the position of Abhi. They both felt the pain again, they were at a point of having their Nandini again with them and again they were back at square one. Manik and Abhi had a special place for Nandini not only in their hearts but also in their daily life.

Nandini was not only sister to Abhi but she was the person who is a supporter of him right from her birth, she was a go to person for him all the time. She was the one who protected him from his parent's wrath when he did something wrong and she was the one who was there for him when he was rejected from the national teams before making his debut. She was a backbone for him in all the things and now when now she is not there with him, he was feeling like he lost his backbone and he is like a person whose life is not having anything meaning now.

Manik position is not describable in words because he lost a person whom he thought will be his saviour, his mother, his father, his child, his lifeline, his love, his life. He is not ready to accept the things which are unfolding in front of him. He just wants to shut himself from this harsh reality and wait for her to come to him because he knew that she will come from him.

Mukti was also in the same position, she is facing the loss of a friend, a sister. She knew what she is going through is very less compared to what Abhi and Manik is going through. She knew that her grief was very less, but she also knew that she must be a backbone for both and make them stand again to face this toxic world.

"Are you both ready to go?" Mukti asked both, they looked at Mukti without any answer. Their look was enough for her to understand that they were scared to face their truth which was going to be unfolded in front of them.

"Ok let's eat food" Mukti spoke holding their hands and they looked at her with a blank face again.

"For Nandini, she doesn't like it when we miss our meals" she spoke and they both nodded their heads heading towards the dining table.

"I forgot dadu will be coming early morning tomorrow" Manik spoke and the remaining nodded their head in yes.

"Abhi did you inform uncle and aunty?" Mukti asked while Abhi nodded his head in no.

"I will tell them once we get an answer for her questions" he spoke, and their dinner went in silence.

Nandini and Abhi parents, live in remote village in Mangalore away from the media for the privacy of them. They stay in their private property with tight security so that no one disturbs them and, they do organic farming there isolating themselves from the world.

The trio left to their respective rooms and even though they don't want to sleep but still they want sometime to themselves alone. Manik entered inside his room and he sat on the bed. He looked at every corner of the room because each corner has one memory of her, it feels like all his life is filled with her memories. Manik moved towards his cupboard and took a photo album.

He sat on bed and opened the album to revive their memories. He saw the first picture which was taken on beach.

"Manik I want to hug by standing on ground" Nandini spoke when they were spending time on beach during their holiday in Andaman Islands.

"Ok what is there in that" Manik spoke and he bend down till her height to hug her, but she moved back from the hug making him confused.

"Not like this, I want to hug by being on ground and you have to stand straight only" she spoke making Manik laugh

"Then you will not even reach my shoulder also" Manik spoke and Nandini beamed at him with a smile.

"What are you thinking?" he asked and without answering him, she hugged his hand making him smile at her.

Manik touched Nandini face in photo and moved to another photo.

"Manik I am telling you that if you don't come in front of me in the next ten seconds I am leaving" Nandini spoke to Manik on call standing in their regular secret spot. Manik asked her to meet there because he just returned from his three months tour. She came here an hour ago, but he was not coming in front of her.

As he heard the threat from her, he came and stood in front of her making her smile and hug him. They broke the hug but were still in each other arms and kissed each other with love.

Manik want to take her in his arms but he can't which not only made him sad, it also made him frustrated. He just wants to fight the whole world and then go into her arms at the end. He wants to kiss her, hold her, make family with her, go on world tour with her, want to do so many things with her.

Slowly he slipped into sleep and same is the case with Abhi and Mukti, they were relishing the memories they had with her. People may think that they are foolish not to check whether the body is hers or not but then the truth was that they were not ready to face the reality. they were afraid like a child who was going to the school for the first time, like a newly married bride who is going to step inside her in-laws house, like a person who is going to face his first interview because they don't know what future holds for them. 

sorry guys for this chapter

i was not satisfied myself because it took me 4 hours to write these 1000 words 

but this part is only because of @Sanuuu04 

hope you like this dear and sorry for breaking my word of giving the update yesterday

will give a better part tomorrow or day after 

love

prathyusha