Fresh starts when the dawn breaks! ... Nothing can be more painful then watching your loved ones suffering..and all you can just do is NOTHING.. because you don't know the reason behind their despair.. Sometimes we get too much into our self that we actually start neglecting every other thing around us.. Sometimes we make so many walls around our self that we actually forget one mere fact..and that is.. Even after constructing those high walls..there is always one person..who knows how to climb upon..and jump straight in your zone .. That's how life goes.. The more we run from something..the more it comes behind us..

Finally the sun rises..illuminating its rays all over.. Manik was standing in the lobby..looking at that beautiful scenario of sunrise..its so heart soothing..but still it wasn't giving him peace not even a bit.. Well! The reason is..his star isn't shining anymore..

Whole night passes by ..but not even for a second he slept..may be he was too engrossed in his thoughts that he didn't realized when the night passed and when the dawn broke..

"Manik!".. He heard a voice and turned around..he saw Navya standing there with a glass of water in her hands...

Manik : " Navya itni subah subah tum yaha?.. Sab theek hai na?.. Nandini ..is she fine?.. Kahi firse koi panic attack toh nhi?.. Navya chalo hum.....".. He freaked at once but Before he could say anything more ..she hugged him with one hand..

Navya : "kya hua hai tumhe?.. Itna kyu pareshan ho?.. Nandini theek hai ..so rahi hai.."... She told him and this provide him much needed solace..he exhaled a deep breath and hugged her back..

Then she broke the hug..kept the glass on the side table and took him to the bed..she made him sit there and sat beside him..

Navya : " kya hua Manik?.. Humne dekha hai.. Jabse tum Nandini se mile ho...tum ajeeb behave karhe ho..kal se Abhi tak..humne koi smile nhi dekhi tumhare face pe.. Baat kya hai?.. Hume bhi nhi bataoge..".. She asked him with very soft voice..concern was dripping from her every word...

He just gave her a weak smile and held her hand..

Manik : "Navi! Nandini kabhi aesi nahi thi..3 years.. 3 long years I have seen her.. There was always a smile on her face..like always.. Jo Ladki sabko jeena seekha deti thi..aaj woh khud is halat mei hai.. Its killing me Navya.. I want that old Nandini back..".. He told her and the pain..grief was clearly depicting in his voice..she held his hand tightly ..and placed her one hand on his cheek..

Navya : " hum jante hai yeh sab asaan nhi hai Manik..humare liye bhi nhi hai..bahut dard hota hai jab hum use ese dekhte hai.. But you are our hope..agar tum tut jaoge toh humari umeed bhi tut jaegi..please Manik..hold yourself ..".. She told him..and he nodded.. He knows he has to be strong ..strong for her..strong for them..

Manik : "you are right..I can't be weak..".. This time determination was clearly audible from his voice..and she smiled looking at confidence in Manik..

Navya : " that's like my brother..".. She then hugged him...and he too hugged her back..

After breaking the hug..she stood up..and looked at Manik ..

Navya : "so jao thodi der..your eyes are showing you didn't slept for a minute..thodi der rest kar lo..".. She told him with her soft voice and he smiled..he nodded ..and she walked out of the room..

Manik : " Navya is right.. Mujhe khudko sambhalna hoga..I can't break like this..instead of that..I need to think all the possible ways to cure her..".. He said and then he recalled her smiling shining face..which brought a smile on his face as well..

He lied down ..and don't know when sleep took him to another world..far from this messy situation.. After getting that assurance from Navya..he calmed a little..and that's why sleep knocked on his eye's door ..and the eye's opened the door for it..

****
After sometime..

Its 11 a.m now and Manik is still sleeping ..there was a smile on his face..may be he is watching a beautiful dream..and there is no second thoughts in it that whom he is watching in his dreams.. There is only one girl in his mind and in his heart..in these long 3 years.. That first convo on the last day of their college is still fresh in his heart.. How badly he wants to go in past..and stop the moment there only.. But alas! No one can change what passed by ..but we can actually make our present a little better..

"Utho na..utho na..kitna sote ho..utho na!".. He heard a voice in his deep slumber ..someone was shaking him badly.. voice was so heart soothing..that he opened his eyes and he found her ..standing in front of him..holding her favorite teddy bear in her hands...

She was smiling like a small baby..when he opened his eyes..she jumped in excitement..

" tum uth Gaye friend! Tum uth Gaye!".. She shouted in exciting tone.. He smiled looking at that smile on her face.. He sat back..although he was really tired as he didn't slept last night..but for her..he can leave his own life as well then sleep is a very small thing..

Manik : "tum subah subah mere room mei?.. Kya hua?".. He asked and she now sat down on the bed..he looked at her keenly..

" pata hai friend! ".. She said in a very deep voice ..and he looked at her more carefully..

" mere room mei bahut bada sa rat hai.. Aur mujhe rat se na dar lagta hai..woh kitne ugly hote hai na..but tum toh mere friend ho na..aur friends toh apne friend ki help karte hai na..toh tum na mere sath chalo..hum us rat ko wahan se bhaga denge.."..... She told him everything ..and he was only looking at her..while narrating the story ..how her eyes opened widely..how beautifully her lips moved..he noticed everything..

"Friend! Chalo na please".. She pleaded him like a baby..and shake him a little..

Manik : " okay baba! Am coming..chaliye princess..".. He said after stepping out of the bed..and she smiled..she then walked ahead him..and he followed her..

Navya who was In the living room..saw Nandini and Manik upstairs.. She saw Nandini was quietly instructing him to follow her..and he patiently following her.. She smiled looking at the scenario..

Navya : "pata nahi kyu Hume esa lagta hai jese Manik kuch hide karha hai..".. She thought looking at that content smile on his face while following Nandini..

Nandini's Room..

" are yahi toh tha..lagta hai tumhe dekh ke bhaag gaya".. She said after roaming her eyes all around.. He noticed that Nandini is comfortable with him..

So he thought to initiate a valuable conversation with her..

Manik : "umm! Nandini ..".. He called her and she turned around..

Nandini : " kya hua friend? ".. She asked very innocently on which he smiled..

Manik : " woh I was thinking about your friend wali theory.. That friend ek dusre ki help karte hai..".. He asked and she shrugged her shoulder in affirmation..

Nandini : "Han..karte hai..".. She said very casually..

Manik : " toh tum meri help karogi?".. He asked very lovingly and she smiled..

Manik : "okay!.. So I was thinking ..ki mai painting karu..but na mujhe company chahiye ..tum help karogi?".. He asked and after a deep thoughts..she said yes!

Manik knows one thing..that from college days only..she was best in painting.. All the competitions which held in college regarding painting..she was always the winner..

So to give her some trust back..he decided this ..he knows that for trusting herself..she needs something which used to provide peace to her..that's why he choose painting..

****

Downstairs.. Navya was talking with Manik's dadi on call..

" aap tension mat lijiye dadi..Manik is my responsibility.. Woh humare sath he rahega..ap log aram se apna work complete kijiye..we are here to look after him..".. She assured her..and dadi smiled..

Dadi : "tum toh janti ho use Navya..he is a very pure heart person..sabka khayal rakhna janta hai..bas apna nhi..toh bas uski tension bani rehti hai humesha".. She told her concern for Manik..

Navya : " hum jante hai dadi ..but ap fikar mat kijiye..hum hai na yaha..".. She said in assuring voice and dadi was relieved..

Dadi : "wese bhi woh todha pareshan hai aaj kal".. She said with little grief and Navya listened carefully..she asked why..

Dadi : " woh ek Ladki thi uske college mei..wahi Cape Town mein..he actually .........".. Before she could tell her..the line got disconnected..

Navya : "ohhoo! Yeh bhi Abhi disconnect hona tha..",.. She said in irritation. She tried calling. .but number was unreachable..

Navya now ponder on dadi's incomplete words..

Navya : " dadi kis Ladki ki baat karhi thi?.. Now am sure Manik is hiding something..I will talk with him..".. She thought with a stern face..

*****

After sometime .. MaNan were in Nandini's room..and doing painting..Nandini was sitting on the bed..with blank sheet ..and pencil in her hand..while Manik was standing in front of her..he had a canvas in his side..and he was painting her ... A little small secret Manik Malhotra loves painting ..

He was painting when suddenly he realized the changed expression on Nandini's face..she was busy in sketching but every time her expression changes..he notice the change in her body language..

"I hope yeh painting kuch help karei meri..in curing her.." ..he thought and concentrate on his painting..

After sometime.. Manik was done with his part of painting..and undoubtedly he made the most marvelous painting till date..after all he painted her smiling face ...it should be amazing.. He smiled looking at his painting..and then moved his gaze towards Nandini..who was holding the paper in her hand..and was all quiet..

He noticed the change in her..those sudden changes in her behavior is quiet normal for a mentally challenged person .. Sometimes she acts like a 2 year baby..and sometimes she is all quiet..hiding herself from everyone..

Manik then went towards her..and called her..but no response.. She didn't reacted even a bit..which was a matter of worry for him..

He sat down on the floor and looked at her..

Manik : "you know Nandini..jab mei chota tha..mai kho gaya tha..".. He started narrating a story..and she was gazing at the paper in her hand..

Manik : " mai bahut dar gaya tha..I thought mujhe meri family kabhi nhi milegi..mai kabhi ghar wapas nahi ja paunga..".. He was saying maintaining his soft voice ..now she looked at him..with some pain in her eyes..

Manik : "but then..I gathered myself back..I thought.. Mai haar nhi sakta..I have to go home ..mujhe apni family ke pass Jana hai.. So I tried to recall my dad's number ..after a hour fight ..maine dad ko call kiya..aur woh mujhe wapas apne sath le Gaye..".. He finished the story and she was looking at him intently..

Manik : " us din Maine ek baat seekhi that..when there is will, there is a way.." ... He told her softly and his words did magic.. She smiled a bit and hand over him the piece of paper..which she was having all this while..

Manik : "tum aram Karo okay..mai Abhi aata hoon".. He said and she nodded.. Actually after looking at the painting..he was confused as well as shocked..

" shayad Cabir Navya kuch bata pae is painting ke baarei mei.." .. He thought and walked out of the room..after giving smile to her..

****

Downstairs :

Manik showed the painting to Cabir and Navya ..they looked at it very carefully..

Manik : "kuch bhi idea hai ki usne yeh painting kyu banayi hogi?".. He asked and both were lost in deep thoughts..

Cabir : " han! .. Shayad I know what's the reason behind this painting..".. He told him and Manik looked at him intently ..

Screen freezes on Manik's stern face..

So! Here goes the another part..hope you all liked it.. What's in the painting? ..and what Cabir knows?..

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Loads of love..
Kajal :)