As the sunlight peaked in through the drapes, he blinked his eyes open, drowsily rubbing them with his fist as he turned his head sideways, frowning when he couldn't find his Nanni Mumma beside him. His eyes watered as he got up and searched for her in his room and couldn't find her, wondering if she had broken his pinky promise.

"Nanni Mumma!" he shouted loudly before he burst into tears. Nandini, who was busy looking for some healthy breakfast in kitchen, startled on Manik's shout and hurried upstairs to their room.

"Manik, meri jaan, kya hua?" she asked, concerned as she moved towards him on the bed, where he was crying loudly. As she sat down, his arms wrapped around her tightly, making her lean against the headboard before she placed his head on her chest, worried as he continued sobbing while she tried consoling him by gently rubbing his back.

(*Manik, my life, what happened?)

"Nanni Mumma," his soft voice in the midst of his sniffles reached her ears, making her glance at him as he continued, "Jab aap mere pass nayi the na subah subah toh mujhe laga aap Manu ka pinky promise tod diya aur usko jhod ke chale gaye. Aap meko jhod ke toh nayi jaoge na?"

(*Nanni Mumma, when you were not here with me in the morning, I thought you broke Manu's pinky promise and left me. You won't leave me, right?)

Her gaze softened and she pressed a soft kiss on top of his head, replying, "Mera Manu itna nona hai. Usko mai jhod ke jau to jau kaise?"

(*My Manu is so nona. How will I leave him?)

"Nona?" Manik asked with confusion.

"Nona matlab pyaara sa," Nandini clarified, softly smiling as she gazed at the smile that immediately adorned Manik's face.

(*It means lovely.)

She frowned as Manik raised his eyes to her and innocently asked, "Mai sach mai pyaara hu? Pagal nahi hu?"

(*Am I really lovely? Not an idiot?)

"Nayi, jisne bhi tujhe pagal kaha woh khud pagal hai," Nandini replied fiercely, smiling when Manik smiled before she tentatively cupped his cheek and said, "Tu toh Nanni Mumma ka cute sa baby hai. Aur agar koi tujhe bura bole toh mere paas aana. Achi class lagayenge ham dono mil ke un sab ki. Okay?"

(*No, whoever called you an idiot is an idiot. You're Nanni Mumma's cute baby. And if anyone call you names, come to me. We both will take their class together.)

"Okay," Manik replied before placing back his head on her soft breasts, giggling at the prospect of his Nanni Mumma scolding his Mammi.

"Acha. Toh ab breakfast mai meri jaan kya khayga?" Nandini asked, picking back her phone and looking through the dishes while her other hand raked through his hair, massaging the scalp gently. Manik stared at the screen of the phone, looking at different dishes and blinking his eyes, keeping his sleep at bay before he was again lulled back to sleep due to Nandini's soft movements.

(*Okay. Now, what will my baby eat for breakfast?)

Nandini looked at Manik as his low snores filled in the silence, pressing a kiss on his forehead as he slept comfortably with his mouth slightly parted.

Thinking about cooking the breakfast before he wakes up again since he also needed to take his medicines, holding her breath she untangled her legs from his. Pulling the pillow closer, she slowly turned around, placing his head on it before patting his head as stirred in his sleep, mumbling her name and assured, "Yeh rahi, Mumma, mere shone."

(*I'm right here, my sweetheart.)

Gently removing his arm from around her waist, she got up from bed gradually, keeping an eye on him all the while. She picked up the blanket which he had thrown away in his sleep and covered him properly and softly pressed a kiss on his cheek before getting up. She draped the windows properly to prevent the sunlight from entering and stepped out of the room.

•••••

"Kya bana rahe hai aap?" Riya Aunty asked, as she saw Nandini chopping some vegetables.

(*What are you making?)

"Woh Manik ke liye sandwich," Nandini replied, not looking up as she was busy focusing on her task. "Uski health ke liye acha hai. Aur aap mujhe Dadi se uski medical reports la dengi please? Kal mai uske saath doctor ke paas jakar aaungi taki mujhe ache se pata chal jaye uske issues ke bare mai."

(Sandwich for Manik. It is good for his health. And can you bring his medical reports from grandma? I will go with him to doctor tomorrow to know about his issues clearly.)

Riya smiled softly, patting her head appreciatively before she went into the required files, while leaving behind a confused Nandini wondering why Manik froze when she mentioned Riya while she was so affectionate with them. Akash, who had been observing it on the threshold since Riya came, smiled and said, "I see you're settling in here just fine if we exclude the few curses that you threw at me."

"I don't curse," Nandini murmured, ignoring the rest of his sentence since she wasn't interested in entertaining his sudden friendly conversation.

"I see you haven't forgiven me despite accepting Manik," Abhishek said, leaning against the counter while Nandini wiped her hands with a napkin before turning around to face him.

"Well, we forgive those who we know and I have no idea who you're except your name," Nandini replied back, arranging the plate.

Abhishek sighed and straightened before moving towards her. Nandini stared as he held out his hand in confusion and pinched her lips together as he said, "Well, then I guess I would love if we got to know each other." When Nandini continued to stare at his hand, he persuaded her by saying, "Come on, you might need a friend. And who might be better than Manik's favourite cousin aka his best friend who can help you to understand not only this Manik but even before his accident."

Nandini contemplated and the curiosity to know more about Manik made her shake his hand, despite her apprehensiveness. She grumbled, "Fine. Now, get out."

Abhishek smiled as he stared at Nandini, shook his head and stepped out of the kitchen while wishing for Manik to get well soon and finally accept the happiness that his life is showering him with.

"Manik," Nandini gently called out, coaxing him to wake up and he grumbled something under his breath, shuffling closer to her and wrapping himself around her.

As she shook his shoulder slightly, he held his two fingers and mumbled, "Bas 2 minute, Nanni Mumma." Comprehending his own words, he shook his head and held five fingers, making Nandini smile at his cute antics as he grumbled, "Nayi, bas five minutes."

(*Only 2 minutes. **No, only five minutes.)

"Acha. Okay," Nandini said, shaking her head and resting it on top of his, staring out of the window as comfortable silence filled in. A few minutes later, Manik moved away, stretching to his fullest before peeking at Nandini as she got up and sat beside him.

"Chalo ab uth jao aur fresh hojao. Mai breakfast lati hu," Nandini said.

(*Come on now get up and freshen up. I'll bring breakfast.)

"Paste laga doh," Manik said while rubbing his eyes.

(Apply the toothpaste.)

"Na karo esse. Eyes pain hoyengi," Nandini said, stopping his movements before she lightly rubbed his eyes with her fingers. She moved to the washroom and applied toothpaste on his toothbrush, handing it to him and turned on the geyser for his bath.

(*Don't do this. Your eyes will hurt.)

As the water warmed, the idea of Riya Aunty bathing him didn't sit well with her. Mainly because he was suffering mentally and it felt wrong handing over such a vulnerable task to her.

"Hogya," Manik said and she wiped his mouth with a towel. Nandini observed him as she asked, "Mai Riya Aunty ko bath ke liye buladu?"

(*Done. **Shall I call Riya Aunty for a bath?)

She watched Manik freeze and nod, albeit scared. Manik shook his head when Nandini asked, "Kya hua?" When he didn't reply, she sighed and asked, "Mai bath mai help karu."

(*What happened? **Shall I help you?)

Manik immediately bobbed his head up and down with a smile, making Nandini more suspicious about Riya. But, she let it go for the moment and focused on Manik, making him sit on the bed before she helped him out of the clothes till he was only in his boxers.

Nandini stared in concern as she watched him, the bones protruding out of his skin a telltale sigh of his deteriorating health. She breathed out, more determined to help him recover and pulled him along with her to the bathroom for his bath.

•••••

"Nayi, bas, Nanni Mumma. Yuck," Manik said, acting like vomiting and turning his head away as she held another morsel of vegetables toast.

(No, that's enough Nanni Mumma. Yuck!)

"Manik," she said sternly, making him look at her with fear, "Maine kitne bites kaye the?"

(How many bites did I ask you to eat?)

"Five," Manik said, looking at his fingers as he held five of them to show her.

"Aur abhi kitne hoye?" she asked, despite knowing that he had one more bite left. She arched her brow as Manik lowly mumbled, "Five."

(And how many did you ate?)

"Five hogaye?" Nandini asked, making Manik cutely nod at her before she shook her head and said, "Tumhe pata hai Manik jab chote babies jhoot bolte hai na toh unke ears bade ho jaate hai aur phir unki Mumma ko pata chal jata hai ke unka baby unko jhoot bol raha hai. Ab baatao mujhe, did you had five bites?"

(You had five bites? You know when baby lie to their mothers then their ears grow big and the mother finds out that their child is lying. Now tell me, did you had five bites?)

She tried to resist the smile forming on her face as Manik covered his ears with his palms and nodded before muttering, "Haan Nanni Mumma, five bites ho gaye."

(Yes, Nanni Mumma, I had five bites.)

Nandini shook her head and held the morsel in front of him as she said, "Don't lie. Maine pehle jab jhoot bola tha tab dekh liya tha tumhare ears ko."

(*When you lied before, I had seen your ears growing big.)

Manik wrinkled his nose as he looked at the sandwich with hate before pouting as Nandini persuaded him by softly saying, "Last bite hai na, mera bacha. Bohot acha bacha hai, mera Manu. Jaldi se khayega."

(It's last bite, baby. My Manu is such a good boy. He'll eat it immediately.)

Manik opened his mouth slightly, making Nandini immediately feed him else he might change in mood and smiled as he chewed it, despite the wretched look as if she fed him poison.

A few minutes later, as she got up from bed and moved to the bedside table to pick up his medicines, she looked at him as he whined in irritation, tired of taking so many medicines. Nandini kept them back and moved to him as Manik said, "Mere ko ni leni medicine, Nanni Mumma. Kadvi hai."

(I don't want to take them, Nanni Mumma. It is bitter.)

"Manik," Nandini started only to quieten down as he furiously shook his head, her heart breaking as she again watched his eyes tearing up, knowing that it was just one of the side effects of his illness, as Dadi informed her. He no longer had control over his emotions. One moment he is laughing and the other he starts crying.

Moving to the edge of the bed, she patted his back as he rested his head on her tummy. Nandini frowned in concern at feeling mere bones under her palm.

Ignoring it for a moment, she kneeled before him and held his frail hands in hers as she asked, "Aap strong nahi ho ge na toh aap Nanni Mumma ko humesha ke liye jhod ke chale jauge. Toh aapko Nanni Mumma ko akele chod ke jaana hai?" Manik shook his head furiously, watching her as she wiped the tears lining his lashes and pleaded, "Toh phir apni Nanni Mumma ki khatir yeh medicines lelo. Iske badle hum kal doctor ke paas jayenge aur mai unse aapke liye healthy chize puch kar aayenge aur fir mai apni jaan ke liye acha acha cook krungi. Okay?"

Manik nodded and Nandini smiled lightly before she glided back his hair from his forehead and pressed a kiss on it, breathing him in while Manik smiled brightly, his innocent heart jumping in joy at her affectionate gestures.

Nandini got up and brought the medicines, gazing at him lovingly as he took them quietly. He looked up at her after taking them as Nandini asked, "Bas?"

(*Done?)

Manik nodded and she smiled, making Manik smile in turn as he gazed at her as if she had handed him over the stars from the sky.

And both the souls were so busy in trying to understand immense pleasure that their heart went through at the feeling of acceptance and affection that they missed the old woman gazing at them through the door, wiping away her tears of happiness.

Hi everyone! Thank you for reading. I hope you liked this chapter. Please do share your thoughts in the comments section or about anything you would love to further read in the story and I would be happy to oblige.

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