She laid on the road lifelessly while he is lying on his stomach looking at her petite figure lying on the ground in pool of blood. His heart has already stopped beating while his soul is trying it's best to come out at once and hold it's mate who is lying lifelessly on the ground, his scream is still echoing in the air making each and every leaf shudder with fear and shock.

(Background music)

(Instrumental break)

Manik: "Nandini.."..he murmured softly while eying her frantically. He stood up balancing his steps, she is lying a bit far from him which made him run towards her with all the power and energy built inside him.

Loving and fighting
Accusing, denying
I can't imagine a world with you gone
The joy and the chaos, the demons we're made of
I'd be so lost if you left me alone...

He balanced his steps and started moving towards her, she is lying unconsciously on the ground totally oblivious of her surrounding while his mind is drifting to all those timing when they were together, he recalled how they shared several nights in each other's warmth even when they were continuously in a denial mode of having any feeling for each other, he recalled how she accused him before leaving ..

You locked yourself in the bathroom
Lying on the floor when I break through..

He silently sat down near her, she is lying straight ,her beautiful face covered with blood, his heart sink in the depth of darkness after finding his girl in such situation.

For the first time in his life he felt the feeling of being scared , for the first time in the long time he felt like that this is the day when he is going to be a corpse again.

I pull you in to feel your heartbeat
Can you hear me screaming "please don't leave me"...

He took her petite figure in his warm embrace, her head touched his chest right above his heart, tears escaped unknowingly from his eyes. Today he realized one thing - 'without her he can't function'..

Manik: "Don't leave me..please!"..he murmured helplessly, never in his life he felt this helpless but today he felt like he has lost all his energy.

Hold on, I still want you
Come back, I still need you..

As soon as he murmured to her, he felt her soft uneven breath falling on his exposed chest, his heart took a beat again after feeling slow rhythm of her heartbeat.

Manik: "Nandini..Nandini..am right here..I won't let anything happen to you ..."....he assured her after breaking the hug for a very brief moment.

Let me take your hand, I'll make it right
I swear to love you all my life
Hold on, I still need you...

With all struggle he somehow managed to stood up with her in his protective embrace, never in life he felt this much concerned and worried for anyone else. Never he felt responsible towards anyone, none ever mattered to him before but today one thing is very clear to him that the girl who is lying in his arms is the one who managed to sneak in his dark world and has awaken the good side of his successfully.

She does matters to him...he realized..

A long endless highway, you're silent beside me
Drivin' a nightmare I can't escape from
Helplessly praying, the light isn't fadin'
Hiding the shock and the chill in my bones...

He made her sit on the front seat of his car, securely made her wear seat belt, her head is still bleeding, her beautiful hazel eyes closed which is only scaring him. Without even his knowledge tears running out from his eyes, every moment of silence is killing him from inside. After making her sit, he ran to the other side of his car and occupied the driver's seat.

Ignited the engine and headed towards the hospital in full speed, his eyes fell over her, she is silently lying there and every moment is making him weak.. all the worst thoughts are crossing his mind, he wonders what if he looses her just like he lost everything in his life earlier, will he ever be able to stand back?

In all the process of scaring and praying, he reached Lifeline hospital, he halted the car and it stopped with screeching sound. He instantly ran out of his car and opened her side of door, he took her in his protective embrace, he instantly ran inside while her hand is moving to and fro in air, her face covered with blood, his tears flowing continuously, his heart screaming and he shouted one word which he might never spoke in his life "HELP!"...

They took you away on a table
I pace back and fourth as you lay still ..

Everyone recognized him in a heartbeat, team of doctors ran to his side, he placed her on the stretcher as the ward boy came with it.

Manik: "please save her!"..he pleaded, never in his life he did that.. but today he caught himself scared like never before..

They pull you in to feel your heartbeat
Can you hear me screaming, "please don't leave me"

One of the doctors checked her heartbeat, which was still functioning. Thus, he gave the green signal to the staff and they all took her straight towards the OT. While manik is left behind with her scarf in his hand which is covered with her blood..

Hold on, I still want you
Come back, I still need you
Let me take your hand, I'll make it right
I swear to love you all my life
Hold on, I still need you...

He sat down on the near by seat with her scarf in his hand, he felt like his whole world has crashed down. He realized he can't imagine his world without her in it, he realized that even heaven is hell to him if she isn't there, he realized he can't live in the world no matter how many dimensions are there without a Nandini in it..

I don't wanna let go
I know I'm not that strong
I just wanna hear you
Saying baby, let's go home
Let's go home
Yeah, I just wanna take you home...

Manik: "You aren't allowed to leave me Nandini Manik Malhotra. You can't. Please! Don't leave me. Please!"..he tried to be domineering in first, but gradually his vocal ditched him and words which escaped later on clearly depicts the level of vulnerability in it.

Hold on, I still want you
Come back, I still need you..

He held her scarf tightly to his body, assuming it to be her. He can't let her go, he needs her, he wants her - he realized... She rule on his heart.

***

India:

Rihaan is sitting in his balcony looking at the stars in the dark sky, there is a smile on his lips when he recalled something he recently collided with.

Rihaan: "He has feelings for her but it isn't ready to accept the same. Idiot!"..he cursed at the end, recalling how he has seen some deep feelings in Manik's eyes brewing for Nandini but he has also seen the resistance in him.

Just when he was lost in his thoughts, he heard his phone ringing, he picked the phone and saw the name flashing onto it "Prince calling!" ..

Rihaan: "Dude! Am still angry.."..he remarked as soon as he answered the call but next what he heard was something he had definitely not imagined.

He heard sobbing sound from the other end and that was the moment which made him startled.

Rihaan: "Manik! What's wrong?"..he asked being totally freaked and worried for his bestie.

Manik: "Nan.....Ri....Nan..."..he wasn't able to frame his words appropriately as all he was able to think of the worst.

Rihaan: "Manik! Please calm down. Could you please explain what happened?"..he tried his best to remain calm and compose so that he can hear him properly.

Manik: "Nandini met an accident Rihaan...."..he told him with shattered tone and this definitely snatched the floor beneath Rihaan.

Rihaan: "Oh god! Where are you right now Manik? I'll come straight away.."..he asked being extremely upset and worried at the same time.

Manik: "We are at Lifeline hospital, Sydney."..he gave the details but was still lost in his own thoughts, Nandini's face covered with blood is flashing in front of his eyes every now and then..

Rihaan: "Manik am coming. Nothing will happen to her."..he assured him but next what he heard was something beyond his expectations..

Manik: "Nothing should happen to her Rihaan. I can't imagine my life without her, I need a little good in my life Rihaan and she is way too good for me. Without her there's an awful lot of darkness, I need light in my life and she is the light. You were right that day when you said that she is ruling over my head but you know what I realized that SHE IS RULING OVER MY HEART AS WELL.."...he honestly accepted everything with a small weak smile on his face whereas Rihaan too smiled on his confession.

Rihaan: "Now when you've accepted and realized your feelings for her, nothing will happen to her. She has to come back to you Manik, she has no other option. She is yours- hold on to that..."..he gave him the much needed booster which brought a smile on manik's face which was lost somewhere.

Manik: "Please come.."..he asked in almost shattered tone.

Rihaan: "Almost there."..he disconnected the line after reassuring Manik and instantly called Arjun to arrange their private jet for Sydney.

*****

Cabir : "Why? Whyyyy?"...he shouted in extreme anger and pain..he broke the glass of the table by punching his hand on it...

Sahir: "Cabir! Calm down please. What's wrong with you? This isn't the solution.."..he tried to stop his madness when he saw blood coming out of Cabir's hand, he instantly brought first aid and tried to bandage it but cabir snatched his hand and stood up.

Cabir: "Why she saved him? Why? She is there.....lying amidst of life & death...why? ....Whyyyyyyyyyy??"..he again shouted his lungs out in total frustration, tears coming out of his eyes as he knows his Nandini is very critical.

Sahir : "Because she still loves him..She does..."....he answered Cabir's question which somewhere Cabir already knew...

Cabir turned around to face Sahir, there was only angst and hatred today.

Cabir : "How can she love him Sahir? How could she? Even after knowing that Manik has killed our Aahana, how can she love him? ..."...the anger, pain, hatred is clearly evident from his eyes. Sahir adopted silence as Cabir looked incredibly furious.

Cabir : "No Nandini. You can't love him. He doesn't deserves to be alive, and I'll make sure he won't be alive for long time."..he took a vow in his heart while Sahir looked at Cabir silently..

Screen divided into three parts, in extreme left there is Manik with tears in his eyes, in middle there is unconscious Nandini with an oxygen mask and in extreme right there is Cabir in rage..

******

Merry Christmas all of you!! Missed me? I hope you all do.. I know I'm not active over here, and it's only because of my professional life. Am trying hard to balance everything. I hope you all will cooperate with me.

Please give a try to my new story - Prohibited love! Promo is already out and I hope I'll start the story very soon. Am sure you all will love that storyline also, please give it a shot.

Loads of love to all of you.. happy new year in advance..

Your storyteller ❤😘