"We are getting a divorce." Mukti whispered barely audible and everyone gasped.

Nandini gasped and immediately went frantic.

"What? Why? What happened?" Manik immediately side hugged her but she came out of his embrace leaving him hurt.

"It's just not working out!" Abhi looked down massaging his temples.

"But suddenly abhi? And marriage is supposed to be hard that doesn't mean you'll give up like that!" Sushmita tried to be reasonable and looked at mukti who was just looking down.

"We tried maa but it's just not happening. We tried to sort out our differences but we became distant and regular fights are just too much now." Mukti explained fiddling with her fingers.

"And that was taking a toll on both of us so after having a discussion we decided to part ways. For good." Abhi nodded and glanced at a vulnerable mukti.

"Mukti are you okay?" Sushmita asked concerned and took her hands in her's. She gave an assured nod.

"I think I'll stay at my parent's place today." Mukti whispered lowly keeping her tears at bay.

With that she went upstairs to grab her luggage.

"Abhi?" Sushmita tried to coax him.

"We have made our decision I hope you support us." Abhi said in a monotone voice and left from there saying he had some work.

Nandini was silent all this while and she made her way upstairs towards her room.

"Can you please check on her?" Sushmita sighed and looked at manik hopefully.

He nodded and followed nandini inside her room. She was sitting on the bed with her arms and legs on her chest.

He was unsure what to do but sat in front of her. After a whole minute of silence she started talking.

"You know they were in love with each other since they were twelve?" Nandini whispered keeping her chin on her folded hands. He kept her hand on her's but she removed it. He was dejected but masked his emotions for her sake.

"They were in love, got married and one day they got up and decided that they don't want to be together anymore? How am I supposed to believe in love when every relationship I've ever seen just falls apart?" Her voice cracked in the end.

"Nandini list----" He tried to console but her next sentence knocked the breath out of him.

"What's unique in us manik? What are the chances that we will work out? That we will not end up splitting, that I will not lose you because of this thing called love? Ten years manik ten years I'll lose myself if I ever lose you." A tear dropped from her eye and he was speechless for once.

"You mean too much for me to lose you manik! And who will guarantee that we will be together hamesha? And it will not ruin what we have now?" She questioned and she was having a full blown breakdown.

"No one can guarantee that nandini, the only thing which you should cling to is hope and trust. Hope to be always together and trust your partner for that to happen." His shoulders droop and his hands were trembling.

"I just need to know that it's possible,
that two people can stay together happily forever." Her lips trembled and he knew he lost this battle.

"You're right there's no guarantee and we will not ruin it for something more." These words were heavy for him but he managed them out and immediately wrapped his arms on her waist embracing her.

And this time she didn't resist.

___________

"Are you awake?" Sushmita asked slowly as she saw nandini lying on the bed.

"Yeah" She muttered still inside her blanket.

"It's afternoon nandini you haven't came out of your room since manik left yesterday." She sat besides her and ruffled her hair.

"I'm throwing a pity party for myself let me be." She muttered not bothering to come out of the blanket.

"You know he really cares for you?" She said knocking some senses into her.

"Yeah that's why I don't want to ruin it I'll literally die if our relationship will get bad. Like I'm not even trying to be dramatic right now." She explained sitting up straight and Sushmita sighed shaking her head at her daughter's stubbornness and obvious insecurity.

Sushmita still blames herself, because of her failed marriage her daughter is really struggling to accept the love that's right in front of her.

"Just don't push him away and come downstairs to eat because icecream is not breakfast nandini murthy." Sushmita said with a pointed look and she groaned going back inside her comfy blanket.

She just needed a break. From everything.

She napped for a while when her phone rang disturbing her slumber.
She reached out and picked up the call without seeing the called id.

"Whoever is calling right now have a death wish!" She grunted and her head hit the pillow.

"I'm sorry I disturbed your slumber princess but it was a long time since I heard from you!"

"I miss you too Cabir please tell me rabid dogs are running after you that's why you called me to profess your undying love for me." She sat up straight running her fingers in her tangled hair.

"Don't get ahead of yourself girl. So did you do what you wanted to do?" He asked carefully mixing sugar in his coffee balancing phone on his shoulder.

"I'm too sleepy to understand what the hell are you talking about." She mumbled looking at the clock on the wall. It was three in the afternoon.

"Jesus you thick as hell! Did you tell manik how you feel about him? Because I'm pretty sure he will die on spot as soon as he hear those words from you!" Cabir chuckled and nandini was wide awake now. Guilt immediately embraced her. That pang in her chest really bothered her.

"I didn't and I don't want to ruin it what we have. He is the most precious person in my life Cabir and I don't think anyone understands what I'm feeling!" She explained and heard him sigh from the other end.

"Kidz" cabir muttered but she heard it anyway. "Listen nandini if two people love each other then no power can separate them and the sooner you get it the sooner you both will be happy." He tried to knock some senses into her but he forgot he's talking to 'the nandini'.

"Whatever you say cabi"

"Gotta go now I'll talk to you later" He said and quickly cut the call.

Nandini got up and decided to go downstairs as her stomach grumbled.
She made her way down in her spongebob pjs and pink tank top.

Her steps halted when she saw sushmita, abhi and manik having a conversation in the living room in hushed tones.

"Last time everyone were together, my brother announced his divorce what's next you selling me to satan?" Nandini snapped and crossed her arms on her chest.

"Calm down woman no need to get hyper. We were just keeping manik company as you were sleeping." Abhi explained and she sat besides her mother keeping her head on her shoulder.

"Hungry?" She asked patting her head.

"Starving" Nandini mumbled her eyes still closed.

"Go upstairs I'll send the food there" With that she got up to get her food.

"Nandini can we talk?" Manik asked shifting on his place and she eyed at him suspiciously but nodded anyway.

They both made their way to her room again. She sat on the bay window seat and he took a seat on the hammock besides her.

"Are you okay?" It was his first question and her heart immediately melted.

"I've been better!" She replied truthfully and crossed her legs.

"I'm sorry we couldn't work out!" He muttered choosing his words carefully and she chuckled bitterly.

"I'm glad that we didn't" She said and it hurt him physically when she said that. "Because you don't deserve a effed up girl who gives up everytime something bad happens. You don't deserve someone who keeps running away from you. You don't deserve some crazy messed up chick. You deserve someone who's going to be there with you and gonna slap you when you try to give up. You deserve someone who's going to love you with all her heart. You deserve better than me." Her voice cracked up, she tried but couldn't hold her tears and a sob escaped. She covered her mouth and wiped her tears harshly.

He listened to her without interrupting and realised she was right.

He stared at her not saying anything because his silence answered that he agreed and it did hurt her tiny bit.

He closed his eyes ignoring the tightness in his chest and his eyes became misty. He sighed and glanced at her who was looking outside the window.

"So what's next now? I mean you're done with your graduation right." He asked crossing his arms and leaned back.

"I don't know maybe I will apply to some fashion house or something but ninety percent I'm going to help mom in business. It's high time now I can't dump the responsibility on bhai completely and now that he is getting a divorce. He needs a break." She said looking down playing with her fingers.

"Well in that case I've something for you!" Manik grinned and pulled out an envelope for her.

He forwarded it towards her and she scrunched her brows in confusion.
She took it hesitantly and opened it.
Nandini gasped in shock her eyes widened in surprise.

"My ticket to New York?"