#Tears may appear every now and then, for eyes are too sensitive to surroundings#

"It seems to be a nice place. Isn't it, Cabir?" Navya looked around, with her eyes damp. "Yeah." Cabir smiled at his wife, unaware of her tears. "Just like how Nandu described her place to be." she mumbled loud enough for Cabir to hear it. He went ahead, and took her for a hug.

"I--I miss her, Cabir. I miss my best friend, so much." Navya cried while clutching onto Cabir's shirt, and he let her cry. "You know what--" she looked up at him, and he cleared her tears away with his right hand. "I can feel her, here. She must be around, yeah? I know we did look for her here and received nothing in the end but, this is her place. What if she's here now?" she sobbed, and his eyes glistened with tears.

And they heard a thump.

They looked behind to see Manik keeping their son's video game on the teapoi. "I came to return this." and he moved towards the door to leave, when Navya's yell halted him in his tracks.

"Bhai!" she went and hugged him, and he let her cry in his arms. "It's okay, Navya." he patted in her hairs and left the room, while Navya clutched onto her heart. "I know you could feel her too, Bhai. I know." she whispered to herself, when she felt her husband holding her close to him.

"Why can't God bring back happiness in his life, Cabir? Why is God so cruel with us?" she questioned, and he let out a sigh. "God never liked us." he replied, blinking his tears away.

Was he right?

~~~**~~~

"International business meet and in Chennai? That's a first time thing." I furrowed my eyebrows at my Bhai. Charan Murthy. "I know, right. But it's going to be easy for us. We don't have to travel." he replied, shrugging and I agreed knowing it's good that Bhai and Anna don't have to travel to another country, or maybe even another continent, for the business meet.

"This time," I looked up at Anna, Chaitanya Murthy, sitting beside Charan Bhai. "We want you to join the meet." he completed, and I stared at him blankly.

"Me? No, Anna. I won't join. I'm sorry." I said, wiping my lips with a napkin, shaking my head at their decision. How could I join them, when I never considered this business as mine? How could I join them, telling the world that I'm a Murthy when in reality, I am NOT.

Moreover, how can I join a business meet when I know, HE is going to be there.

I can't. I will not!

"Chellam (dear one)!" I turned around to face my brothers, while sighing deeply. "I'm sorry, but please don't force me." I said, and I saw Kajal smiling at me, assuring my thumping heart. I nodded at her, and left the dining hall, ignoring my brothers' protests against it.

I am not going to that business meet, especially with a tag of being Alaksundar Murthy's adopted daughter.

"Ouch!" I hissed lowly, while rubbing at my head, as I had bumped into someone. "I'm sorry, I w-" I looked up only to halt my rants. "Sorry!" and I tried to walk past him.

"Nandini!" I stopped, not to look rude. "Yes?" I questioned, turning around to face him. "How are you? And...how's Annu?" he asked, and I nodded. "We both are fine. Thank you." I replied, and he nodded. I waited for him to continue, but nothing came except for him fidgeting in his place.

"That's all?," I questioned, and he stared at me. "I need to sleep." I added, and he nodded. "Sure. Good night." he said, and I nodded, turning to leave, when I heard a mumbled 'daughter'.

I clenched my fists, and halted in my tracks. "I'm not your daughter." and I know he heard me. "I will never be." and I walked away, to get Annu from Bhai's bedroom to move upstairs.

This place suffocates me. So much!

I wish you were here...Manik!

~~~**~~~

"Naman! Throw. Throw." I heard Navya squealing, and I looked up to see her playing with her son, Naman. He was 3-year-old, and so much like his father. Witty and fun loving. A carefree bird. A smile tugged at my lips, watching him playing. He brings so much of peace to us. The glee on my friends' face was enough to say that.

Looking over my right, I could see Mukti and Alya talking to Dhruv, while staring at Naman smilingly, and then looking at me, making me frown and look down.

Why would they stare at me, though?

"You could have had one," I looked at my left, to see Cabir taking a seat beside me. "For yourself." he pointed at Naman, and I looked away knowing very well about what he meant.

"You cannot blame the fate when it had given you a choice in the past, Manik." I heard him speaking again, and I shut my eyes tight. "Cabir!" My tone was nothing but a warning bell, and he simply chuckled.

"I miss my best friend, Manik." and I looked at him, to see him gazing at his family. "I miss the funny, arrogant ass***e of a friend. His glares, his laughter, his possessiveness, him having fun with us. And now, when I stare at my son, I miss seeing a mini-version of this friend of mine. It would have been possible too, but I guess...I'm not that lucky. We were never lucky, right?" he looked back at me and I couldn't help, but to look away.

"Yes. We never were." I replied, and I heard him sighing. "But you're having something that I don't have, Cabir. Treasure that. Unlike me." I looked back at Navya and Naman and then at Cabir, who stared at me emotionless.

"I wish I could say the same to you." he said, and I chuckled humorlessly. "God never liked me. Never ever. I wonder what he was thinking when he sent a blessing like her in my life? Maybe, just to punish me like how he's doing it now." I said, and got drowned in her thoughts.

"Hey?" I opened my eyes, and looked over my right, to see a little girl on her cycle. "Can I move, please?" she smiled so brightly, that I felt my heart getting tighten in my chest.

A smile so damn similar to someone I knew.

"Hello...uncle?" I looked at her, to see her looking down at my legs, while pouting. "I need to go back to my Ma. She will be worried." she pleaded, while looking at me with her bid doe eyes, and I felt my legs moving backwards, so that she could move.

"Thanks!" she grinned up at me, and waved her hand, before moving ahead with her cycle, struggling a bit here and there.

"Such a cute one." I heard my friends awwing at the little girl, while I was lost in her smile.

Why was it so similar? Why was it so much like her's? My Nandini's?

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