• When I lost everything in my life, I found you.. now I don't want anything else on the price of you.. •

****

Life always plays wicked games with you, it brings galore of pain and happiness at the same time that you are confused whether to cry or to laugh out loud.

Manik has laid his head in her lap,in his imaginary Nandini's lap who is always by her side at every point, in every phase of his life. She is always there for him. His eyes are closed, he has a peaceful smile on his face, she is caressing his hairs lovingly while he's holding her hand which is placed right above his heart. But suddenly he feels some abrupt change in his heartbeat, as if he's soul is trying to communicate something to him, he started frowning, and soon he lost her alluring touch.

Manik : "Nandini!".. he opened his with a jerk and sat back on the floor.

He realized that he was on the floor not in her peaceful lap, he searched the empty room but found nothing,but still his heart beat is running faster than ever. He placed his hand on his heart and started worrying, his heart already gave him the expression of something wrong has happened.

Manik : "Nandini! Why am feeling like you are not fine?".. he thought with inconsolable soul.

His trance of thoughts broke by the sudden ring of his phone, he startled by the sudden ring but calmed himself a bit.

He stood up and picked the phone which is placed on the chest of drawers in the side of the room. And once he saw the caller ID, all the unpleasant thoughts started haunting him.

Manik : "Mukti?".. he asked as soon as he picked the call, and next what he heard is enough to dry the blood in his veins and take away his breath.

Mukti : "Manik Nandini is in hospital please jaldi aao..".. she sounds miserable, tensed, upset, hurt and what not. But this one news broke everything inside him, he feels like somebody has thrown him from the highest peak of the mountain and nothing is left in him.

• If someone will ask how's the life after the death, I will simply tell to stand right here on my place and look around.. •

Mukti : "Manik, Manik, Manik you there?, Manik?"..She freaked out as she didn't listened even a bit of sound from other side, all she is able to feel heavy breathes falling on the speaker and she is able to hear that pain, that fear, that helplessness in those breathes.

Manik : "Main aa raha hoon.....".. that's all he is able to answer after hearing the news, that's all he can do right now with tears in his eyes, but his one statement gave a bit relief to her. He is coming, that's all what she what right now.

Mukti : "don't hurry, I don't want to worry about you as well now. Please take your time and come.. Am here with her..".. she tried to be more strong Infront of him, more rational but her cracking voice, her fearful tone broke all the chords inside him and he knows she needs him there.

Manik : "Mukti! ..Please don't disconnect, am coming. "..He sounds so helpless that anyone can hear the vulnerability in his tone, he is broken, shattered and in agonizing pain. He needs his salvation back in his arms, he want his angel, his maa smiling back to him as soon as possible.

He ran out of his room, and descended the stairs as fast as he can, Dhruv is entering inside the mansion and after finding Manik in this much hurry he also got worried.

Dhruv : "Manik what's wrong?".. he asked as Manik passed him but he didn't answer and ran straight to his car.

Dhruv : "Manik wait, hua Kya hai?".. he shouted but Manik was way to quick, he drove away as fast as he can..

Dhruv : "Shit! What's wrong with him?, Nandini? He can be this much worried only for her.. oh god I hope she is fine..".. he prayed and then he too left to follow Manik..

*****

• If Almighty ask me where I wanna die, my answer will be your lap only.. •

***

Lifeline Hospital

Manik reached the hospital in no time , he ran inside the hospital Without caring how many people tried to stop him in the mid, all he care right now is of her safety, if anything happens to her today then one thing is for sure he'll kill himself but before that he'll burn this whole damn world.

Manik : "Mukti! Nandini!".. he asked as soon as he reached mukti, who is standing right outside the ward.

Mukti : "Thank god Manik you are here, the way you were driving....".. she stopped in mid as Doctor came out of the ward and Manik rushed to him.

Manik : "Doctor how's she? Is she okay?.. ".. he asked being very much impatient and vulnerable.

Doctor : "Mr. Malhotra?"..He was surprised for a minute but kept his curiousity in side... "She is fine now, I think due to some shock she fainted, is she has any medical history?".. he asked to him but Manik took a sigh of relief as soon as he heard the first sentence she is fine now.. and that's all he wanted to hear at this particular time, and rest of the sentence didn't even reached his ears.

Mukti : "Yes doctor she has ..Let's talk..".. she said to doctor and he nodded, but then she looked at Manik who was still standing over there like a statue but seems like he's trying to make his soul a bit calm..

Mukti : "Manik!".. she called him after placing her hand on his shoulder.. "You go inside, I'll be right back..".. she told him in her soft tone, but Manik looked at her with uncertainty. She nodded a no to him..

Mukti : "You aren't at fault, please don't blame yourself this time..".. she pleaded with sympathetic eyes and tears escaped from his eyes. While Manik was coming to the hospital mukti had already told him the whole story..

Mukti: "Let's go doctor..".. she made a quick exit from there, but not after opening the gate for Manik, indicating him to go inside the ward..

*****

Inside the ward :

• How to tell what you mean to me, you're the reason of my living or you're the reason almighty gave birth to me? •

Manik's pov

This half hour brought all that pain back in my world, in which I was residing all these years. But this pain was off limits, I don't know how am still breathing?, I don't know how am still walking in her direction, All I know is looking at this sight is the last thing I want, if anything happens to her today then I swear I would have killed myself.

When she was away from me, atleast I wasn't living with any hope of getting her back in my world, but now when today Mukti forgiven me, she herself brought me into her world, I thought that this is the end of all my sorrows, all my punishments. But no! Like always I brought misfortune to her, am like that black spot on the white dress which can only destroy the beauty of such pious color.

All these unholy thoughts are running in my mind when I found myself standing right in front of her, she is still looking angel, like a true fairy, I can't frame her angelic beauty in words, she is as beautiful as any apsara, she is as calm as water, she is herself a paradise. She is everything any person can ask for, she is goddess herself, but what good I did to get a beauty like her?.. I heard about the story of beauty and beast but that's just a story, and what happens in story it never meets reality. And my life isn't any fairytale saga but an ugliest reality.

I walked slowly to her side and touched her pale face, tears escaped from my eyes as soon as I touched her, she stills a bit in her unconscious state and I can tell she feels my presence, but I can't stand like this, I can't watch her in pain, and the worst part is Am the reason behind her pain once again..This thought brought a bitter taste in my mouth and right now I want to bang my head on the side wall, scream my heart out, I just want to harm myself physically, brutally but Alas! Am still standing here like a lifeless soul.

I want my maa fine, I want to see her toothy smile, her angelic face shining with glint in her eyes. I want to get drown in her eyes, right now I just want to crush myself in her, I want to hug her right here, I want to make myself comfortable beside her in this bed, I just want her to move her soft hands in my hairs, and humm a sweet melody in her beautiful magical voice.

• She is my home! she is my Paradise! She is my lifeline! She is my soul! •

But I stopped myself, I gave a pause to all my stupid thoughts, am behaving like a kid, and again this word! kid! ..Isn't this word is the reason my angel, my sunshine is lying on this bed with all these machines attached to her body?, Oh god!, Why am still alive?, Am the reason of all her pains, all her heartbreaks, it's me only. It's me who makes her cry, it's me who makes her run on the path of pain and sorrows.

And this guilt of mine, made me weak in my knees, I really wonder how am restricting myself from not falling on my knees and cry my heart out. I can't see her like this, I just can't, I love her god damn it.. I love her like crazy..

I removed my hand from her face and dropped a kiss on her forehead, and turned around to leave the room, to make exit from her life, this time forever, but as soon as I turned around her bewitching voice halted my steps.

Nandini : "Manik!"..She called me in her broken tone and her voice brought breathe back in me, I turned around she has opened her eyes but the way she's looking at me I can tell she is in pain, may be because of all these drips and machines attach to her fragile body.

She tried to sit back but before she make any stupid effort of sitting back, I held her and stopped her..

Manik : "You need rest Nandini.. Don't move..".. I strictly talked to her, no I don't want to be soft, because when it comes to her safety I can't take any risk.

Nandini : "Am fine Manik. Relax.."..She assured me in her cracking and weak tone but her pain is still visible in her eyes.

Manik : "you aren't fine, I want you fine. Go back to sleep, I am leaving.."..My last words came out as mere whisper, as if I didn't told her but am trying to make myself remind that you have to leave Manik..

Nandini : "You are leaving me?".. she suddenly asked with so many emotions and uncertainty in her eyes that I feel like killing myself to hurt her again. Such a jerk I am..

Manik: "I need to go..".. I answered in my low tone but I deliberately ignored to answer her question, it's too painful to say a yes to her..

Nandini : "You can't go anywhere, I need you here, I want you Manik..".. her sudden confession took away my breath this time and am looking at her hysterically..

Did I heard it right?, She needs me?, She wants me?.. my heart suddenly asked me whereas I've no answer ..

Manik : "But ...".. I stopped as she can't me with her pleading eyes..

Nandini : "Please Manik!".. she pleaded and I can't resist her this tone, I did lots of mistakes in my life, my biggest mistake was of letting her go, and I can't repeat the same. I want her badly, I need her because I love her. I love her like anything.

Manik : "Can I hug you just once?".. I don't know what came in my mind that I asked her this , but as soon as I asked I repented on my words. So I tried to cover up.. "Am sorry I shouldn't have asked, you take rest..".. I turned around when she stopped me.

Nandini : "Can I hug you just once?"..She asked the same question as if she did cut copy paste enter..I turned around and found her staring back with so many emotions in her eyes that am unable to read any of them, I'm always dense in reading her eyes and I think I shouldn't even try but right now I can say my eyes mirrors her.

I walked a bit closer and she shifted a bit, inviting me in that small bed and for a minute I looked all around, she is attached with machines, drip is still attached to her nerves and I felt like if I'll make myself comfortable on this bed, I'll hurt her..

Nandini : "You won't hurt me, I trust you! .."..Her words left me speechless, I reminsiced her last words from our last encounter on that cliff before her accident..

I can't be back in your world Manik, because I don't trust you anymore and I think I will never be able to...

Now I don't know how I'll cope up with this, one year back she commented that she doesn't trust me any longer and today I think I gain her trust back but should I be happy about this or not?, May be when she'll get her memories back she won't be able to trust me, perhaps she hate me more. God! It's too too complicated.

Nandini : "Manik! Am waiting.".. my trance broke by her voice and I can see she is craving to hug me and am dying right now for her warmth. So chucking all my thoughts for some good time, I stepped out of my shoes and laid down beside her,making sure she doesn't get hurt in the process..

I laid sideways and looked at her angelic face, she gave her beautiful smile to me and I placed my hand on her cold face.

Manik : "You scared the shit out of me, I thought I lost you ..Again!".. last word I murmured to myself and am sure she didn't heard it.

Nandini : "Am fine Manik..Relax!".. she coaxed me and I softly shift closer to her, I buried my face in her hairs, in the crook of her neck, and placed my hand on her belly, she didn't protested even for a second with my invasion in her personal space.

I really don't know it's right or not, but right now I don't care for that, all I want to make myself believe that my Nandini, my maa is fine..

Nandini: "sleep Manik!".. she murmured to me and I don't know how she managed to place her hand in my hairs and started caressing me, oh am in paradise..

I closed my eyes without any thoughts and don't know what am murmuring to her but she is still listening to me with patience, and don't know when drifted in a deep peaceful slumber..

She is my home! am back to home! And I can do anything to protect my home..

*****

This special update is for all of you who love Manik's pov..Trust me I was feeling how to write and what to write then I closed my eyes and I felt what Manik will feel at this moment so penned it down in his pov only.

My folks! It's my final exam tomorrow and am writing this story 😂😂..Such a good student I am, isn't it?😂😂.. hope you all like the part..

Regards.
Your storyteller 😘❤