Hey guys!

Hope everything's fine and you are doing good.
Please give it a try.

And if you like the story,
please show some love by
voting and commenting
on this chap.

You may begin now.

🏵️⭐🏵️

~~~

This chap is affectionately dedicated to - zion89klar🖤✨

~~~

~Manjiri's Pov~

"I hate these random sad days, having a heavy heart and an anxious mind is the worst........."

I seriously hate being in this mood where nothing is really wrong but nothing feels right either. I don't know why one day I feel like I'm healing and mending... But on the next day I'm tearing and sinking again for no reason at all.

Although I've done a very good job at convincing my heart and myself to draw a blank over all the things and the people for whom some months back I would've given my life to.... But still I can't understand why am I going crazy for that missing picture. I remember very well, I had kept that picture in this brown diary only along with these other two pictures. But now I fail to understand where has that photograph gone?

I went through or can say hunted my entire wardrobe but the picture is no where to be found...
Uff!

"Why are you freaking out?"

I startled at his sudden loud serious voice which came from behind. I replied back without even turning around and looking at him, still centralizing my entire heed in scanning the wardrobe totally and properly

"I'm not. Why would I freak out?
I'm just searching something....."

After many successive unsuccessful searching attempts I decided to turn back. But little did I know that I would turn only to bump into something very hard.

Well! Who asked him to stand right behind me?

I faltered on my feet a little but before I could try to still myself, he stretched his arm to get a hold on my hand. I flinched at his sudden action and upped my eyelashes to meet the gaze of the person standing right in front of me who was eyeing me concerningly.

"Careful!"

He commented to which I simply nodded and backed a little trying to put some much needed space in between.

As if I deliberately bumped into him and stumbled. Rather he himself stood right behind me. Let it be now as I'm not in a mood to argue, moreover arguing with him is of no use in anyway.

"What were you burrowing in this cupboard from so long?"

Burrow??
Am I a rabbit or a mouse who'll burrow... I opened my mouth and said

"Umm! Nothing... was only looking for something."

"Alright! If you're still engaged in the search operation then also do look for my navy blue T-shirt...
It's been missing from last week."

What??
Seriously??
I looked at him in disbelief... he smirked a little looking at my facial expressions and added

"By the way what were you searching?"

"Oh nothing special, just something kept in that diary is lost somewhere. Never mind..."

He shifted a little to see past me and chanced a glance. Pointing a finger towards the diary kept in the wardrobe rack, he asked

"That brown one?"

I nodded and all of a sudden he went to his desk after saying

"Wait a second!"

I watched him opening his desk's second drawer and pulling out something which looked like a photograph.
He came back to me and handed it to me questioning

"For this you were freaking out?"

I looked at him dumbfounded and shook my head saying yes uncomfortably.

The picture in my hand is of me and Dii posing in front of Taj Mahal. We both are smiling in it, Dii had wrapped her arm around my shoulders while I had leaned my head on her shoulder sticking very close to her. We both are looking cheerful, carefree and young... unluckily unlike now. After sighing I looked up to him as I heard him speaking

"Well few days ago I too was looking for something in this cupboard, so while searching it by mistake I dropped some things of yours on the floor. I remember I had put everything back but don't know how this picture reached near the desk flapping through the wind. And on finding it there, I kept it there only."

Nodding my head I opened my diary to keep it back along with the other two photographs.

"These are your parents, right? And is this little baby on the lap you?"

"No I'm not, this is Dii in Mummy's lap.
In fact I don't have a single photograph of my parents with me as Mummy went to God after giving birth to me and Papa left us in a road accident when I was hardly 3 whereas Dii was 8 at then.
And in this other picture this is me in Dadi's arms while these two kids are Dii and Jai Bhaiya standing near us."

"Who's he?"

He asked.

"He's my only cousin, Raghav Uncle's and Megha Aunty's son.
All of them used to live with us earlier, but after Papa's death Uncle shifted to Lucknow along with Aunty and Bhaiya."

I observed Shaurya's facial expressions changing after hearing Uncle and Aunty's name. Changing the topic he asked me

"You always keep these three pictures in this diary?"

"Yes!
Ever since I got them I always carry these around me in this diary. These contain the people whom I miss the most... be it Dadi, Mummy, Papa..... or Dii."

Picking up Dii and mine picture he commented

"A picture is worth more than a thousand words.... Isn't it?"

"Stop it please!"

After understanding the true meaning of his words I whispered swallowing past the lump in my throat and keeping back the picture in the diary after taking it back from his hands. Closing the wardrobe I turned around again.

"Manjiri didn't you get tired of pretending like you don't care about Shri Bhabhi or you don't love her anymore...
Agree or not deep inside you also realize that each time you make it sound as if she left you but I can clearly remember you told her or can say you forced her to go....
You let her go."

I understood what he meant and literally a part of me agreed with him, but the thought of........ still crushes my heart into a hundred pieces.

"I know."

I said quietly, my voice thick with emotions.

"But now no one can't just turn back time to how things used to be, she and I both made different choices along the way, we both moved on to some extent and I guess we're two different people now....."

Cutting my sentence in between he repeated my words

"I know...
But don't you wish to get your misunderstandings cleared?"

After listening to his words tears gathered in my eyes but I successfully blinked them away as I didn't want to shed a single tear. Feeling emotionally exhausted and irritated, I replied him in a dismissive tone

"I really needed to know more..... but honestly now I'm absolutely okay with knowing less or knowing nothing... and now I don't want to create any mess anywhere.
Moreover, now there's no point in anything as no one can't erase the fact that both Dadi and Dii left me with nothing but stupid confusions and this undesirable marriage."

I began walking away after mouthing this leaving him perplexed and a little irritated.
But all of a sudden in a swift motion I was yanked back by his arm. I gasped at this. Gulping audibly after seeing his serious eyes I tried to open my mouth to say something but nothing came out of it. I could sense his grip getting tight on my wrist.
Is he feeling anger bubbling up inside him???

"How long will you escape from things and people like this?
Do you really regret this marriage? Huh?"

I gulped at his rough tone and questions. It's not that I haven't heard him speaking like this before but he never used this tone when he speaks to me. I replied stuttering not knowing what to answer and how to answer his questions

"Umm... I... I really can't blame anyone as... as I wasn't forced to marry. But.. but no one can't deny this fact that.... I was left without a choice.
And look at yourself also.... you too aren't happy with it."

Wincing in pain I added

"Now please... leave my hand, it's.... it's really hurting."

"The day I met your Dadi in the hospital, and when she took a promise from me at then....
Manjiri from that day I knew what my purpose is. And let me tell you there is nothing I would not do for those who are really my people... and remember you're also mine!"

I fell silent for a while trying to process everything. I tried my best to ignore how my heart leaped at the mention 'you're mine' from his mouth. I don't know why his words mean so much, but they do.... Yes! they really do. I looked down and he added

"So there's no point of me being unhappy in this marriage. Get this in your extra smart head."

Saying this he let go of my hand insensitively shaking it hard and made his way out of the room.

I didn't like the fact that his words and his this action bothered me immensely. I don't know why am I feeling so drained.... His words are echoing in my mind.

Why can't people see me for who I'm and not for who they want me to be. Once I said leave me alone and now everyone is taking shit very seriously. I never asked anyone to save me or protect me from the pain, but at least someone could've stayed with me.

"Sometimes, we don't need advice we just need someone to listen to us.........."

_

_

_

"We all want it for forever but sometimes some relations can never settle within our terms..........."

After convincing my heart and myself for like more than half an hour, I gathered some courage and made my way towards Dii's room.
I guess Shaurya was right that I should clear all my confusions....
Even if nothing goes right then at least there will be peace in my heart that I tried from my side..... Please God be with me.

I found her room's door open. I looked inside....
Oh! It's empty... She must be downstairs.

So I came down the stairs with a mission to get some answers. I know except me all i.e. Dii, Jiju and Shaurya had them.

An addition to my unlucky day, I only found Jiju on the couch doing something on his tab. Hearing my footsteps, he looked up from it and smiled a little glancing in my direction.

"Umm Jiju, where's Dii?"

Giving me an astonished look. He inquired in a confirming manner

"Shri?
Or Shreya?"

"My Dii!"

Beaming with contentment after hearing my reply he murmured

"She just went inside the kitchen."

I nodded and began walking towards the kitchen leaving him grinning. On entering inside I found..........

"HATE is futile.....
LOVE both gives & takes courage!"

~~~

This is it for now. Hope you liked it. I am sorry for the mistakes.

In case if you want to share your views or suggest something, you are more than welcome.

⭐My sincere request to all the SILENT READERS - Do vote this chap.⭐

Till then take care and stay connected.

Love ♥️✨