"Suno..!"Manik shouted for her from his

room and she was cooking his breakfast..

"Ji aati hoon..!"She shouted back and run

towards his room..! "What happened?"She

asked entering his room and he look at her..

"Ya..! Tie..! Aj lag he nahi rahi..!"His

expressions were telling that he was

struggling with it from long time..!

"Ok..! I will fix it..!"She smiled and started

fixing his tie..! He was looking at the tiny

girl with a full smile on his face. He had

never thought that he will call her in every

matter for help..! "Lejiye..! Ho gai.! Itne si

baat the..! Now you get ready and come for

the breakfast aj main koi bahana nahi

sunoon ge..!"She said all in one go and was

about to walk out when suddenly..

"Nan-Nandini..!"His stammering word

stopped her feet and obviously her

heartbeat..! For the first time Manik took her

name! It was magical..! Really! It was..! How

much she wanted to hear her name from his

lips..! Finally he fulfilled her wish..! She

composed herself and turned to him. He

walked closer to her and cupped her

cheeks..! His gestures! His eyes were

enough to accelerate her heartbeat..! He

leaned closer to her and placed his lips on

her forehead while she closed her eyes to

inhale the moment..

"Thank you..!"He whispered and she exhaled

her breath which she was holding

unknowingly..!

"I will put your breakfast..!"She spoke

blushing like hell and run outside..! While

Manik smiled sheepishly..

----------------------------------------------------

"Wah ray wah..! Kuch dino say someone is

very happy..!"Cabir taunted at Manik who

was smiling working on his laptop..

"Yeah..! Am happy..!"Manik accepted without

any hesitation..!

"Tu ny sorry bola usy?"Cabir asked looking

at his face and Manik's fingers stopped

typing..

"No..!"He became serious..

"Why?"Cabir asked angrily..

"Because..! Am scared!"Manik said and

looked away.

"Abhi bhi scared? After spending so much

time with her?"He asked in a surprised tone

and Manik hide his face in his palms..!

"Come on..! Aik baari baat kar us say..! Am

sure she will forgive you..!"Cabir was saying

all this but nobody knew Manik's hal-e-dil..!

He knew if he will ask for forgiveness she

will be mad at him and he can't tolerate

this!

---------------------------------------------

It was a cold night of December. After

finishing some pending work Manik came to

his balcony to get some fresh air..! He look

around the darkness and saw Nandini sitting

on the bench of the garden. With Smoky

playing around..! She wasn't even wearing a

sweater..! She must caught cold..! He walked

to her room and luckily found a shawl lying

on her bed. He picked it up and walked

downstairs...!

Manik gently covered her bare shoulders

with the shawl from back and she smiled

feeling his touch.

"You shouldn't be sitting here it's quiet cold

around..!"He said all the time adjusting the

shawl on her..

"I thought you slept!"She spoke softly and he

sat beside her on the bench..

"No..! Mjy raat main nend nahi aati..! Pill lay

kar sona parta hai..! So tonight I didn't took

the pill..!"He said staring at the stars and she

was looking at his face..! She didn't wanted

to show him that she knew about his pills..

"But you peacefully slept on our wedding

night?"She remembered and Manik sighed..

"I know..! Because at that night I

was peaceful from Alya's side! I thought all

my tensions finished!"Manik explained..

"Then now what? Aren't you still

contend? Ab q preshan hain ap?"She asked

curiously and he looked away..!

"I have a guilt..! That guilt is not letting me

take peace anywhere!"Manik spoke sadly..

"What guilt?"She was hell curious now..

"Guilt of ruining your life..!"Manik said

vividly and Nandini felt wetness in his eyes.

"I know whatever I did was wrong! I know

If I say sorry with my each breath na tab bhi

main un ziadtiyoon ka badla nahi chuka

sakta jo myny tumhry sath ki hain!

Main chahy sari zindagi

bhi tumhry qadmoon main betha rahoon na!

Tab bhi! Tab bhi nahi!"Manik was

confessing all the time staring on the grass

and Nandini had tears in her eyes..! Manik's

eyes too were filled with water..! Suddenly

he sat on his knees in front of her and she

gasped audibly..! He held her hands which

were placed in her lap and blinked his

eyes the water which was filled in his eyes

fell as tears on her palms with that she too

hiccuped! "Mjy maaf kar do! Please..!" With

that he was about to touch her feet but she

held his hands..

"No please..! Please..! Don't..!"She spoke

painfully and he look at her with tearful

eyes..! "I forgave you when for the first time

you smiled at me..! I am not at all angry

with you!"She said sobbing badly..

"Nahi..! Don't forgive me easily! Me is qabil

nahi hoon..! Sach main..!"He was crying like

baby..! "Tum..! Please! Mjy koi saza day do..!

Kuch bhi..!"He was saying this all the time

with head low and Nandini too sat on the

grass with him holding his hands..

"No Manik..! You are my husband! I know

whatever you did was for Alya! Mjy sachi

koi gila nahi hai..! I know you too are in

pain! I want to heal you Manik..! Please let

me get close to you..!"She said cupping his

cheeks and Manik hugged her tightly, hiding

his face in her hair he sobbed loudly while

Nandini caressed his hair..! "Manik

please..! Ni na..! Don't cry..!"She tried to

shush him but he shook his head..

"Please..! Let me cry..! My heart is very

heavy..! I want a release..!"He almost begged

and Nandini kept quiet she kissed his

hair all the time tracing her fingers in his

nape hair. Nandini was unknown of the

reasons for his tears! She didn't knew Manik

was crying for his lost parental love! She

didn't knew Manik was crying for his lost

baby sibling! She didn't knew that for the

first time Manik had got someone's shoulder

to cry! She didn't knew that Manik was the

most miserable and poor soul of all! She

didn't knew she was the first who cared for

him! She didn't knew how much Manik was

thankful to her for protecting her! Even

Manik wanted to tell her but the words were

not enough to express him! Don't know for

how long he kept crying and crying until he

was tired..!

"Manik..! I think it's enough for today you

should sleep..!"She finally spoke softly and

without a protest he got up with her! His

head was bent low and she brought him to

his room. He quietly laid down and she

covered him with the blanket. She was about

to move away when he held her hand..

"I am very bad..! I am your culprit I know

but can you please sit with me until I fall

asleep..! I don't want to take the pill..!"He

whispered in an embarrassed tone. She

smiled and sat beside him..! She was about

to turn off the night lamp when suddenly.

"No..! Don't..! Don't turn of the lights..!"He

almost freaked out and Nandini was

startled..

"Relax...! I won't..! You sleep..!"She

whispered back caressing his forehead

where sweat beads were visible. He closed

his eyes.

Manik was afraid of dark! There were so

many things which Nandini didn't knew

about Manik..! She kept caressing his hairs

and forehead until she felt his even breath..!

She wanted to be with him..! She wanted to

hide him in his arms! She wanted to remove

all his guilt and fears but what to do she

even didn't knew the soul reason behind all

that! Aiyappa help her!

------------------------------------