~ Situations are bound to take toll on you, but standing with head high is your choice.~

The sky was still not dark, and Manik was standing at the window, contemplating his life. Whatever happened in the last few days, surely took a toll on him, but he was happy to see Nandini growing out of it. But then that wasn't what he was actually worried about. He knew he could handle her, but he was not sure about himself. Even though he had started living his life again, but the demons of his past still haunted him, sometimes as nightmares, sometimes through the photographs. Yes, they still did.

Nandini had been the support through which he had been holding his sanity even after so much happenings. She was the only light source in his life that was earlier completely immersed in darkness. He knew he he was coming over it. The nightmares had almost disappeared, the restlessness in him had waved a bye to him, the fake smiles had been replaced by genuine ones. In short life was good, actually much better. Yet, one part of his heart, and mind, was afraid, that things might not go good all the time, and honestly it sacred him.

The door bell rang, and Manik sighed, it was time to welcome the other three musketeers- Kabir, Navya And of course Nandini. They had all planned a fun evening, to enjoy Nandini, the chef's delicious food and Kabir, the joker's jokes! Even Navya and Manik were supposed to contribute to the entertain.

After an hour's madness, they all sat down to eat, hogging on the delicacies like they had been hungry for ages, until the dessert was served. It was payassam, a south Indian sweet dish known for its explicit taste. Navya was so happy to see it that she started jumping in happiness.

"It's so yummy Nandini! Seriously! It has been so many days I have had it", she exclaimed, and Nandini chuckled at her.

" Here she is getting excited, and I was unaware of the existence of this dish!", Kabir slapped his forehead, and it made Nandini and Manik laugh at the couple.

" How can that be possible? You know Amma makes so tasty Payassam that I can't even explain!", She rubbed her hands together as the memory resurfaced.

"Ohh, that means you are hungry women since birth!", Kabir teased Navya who pouted, and made a bad face.

" Leave it, you monster. I am better off with my parents. My amma prepares so many delicacies just for me- Jalebi, Samosa, litti-chokha! And dad pampers me all the time. Huh", she retorted back, cringing her nose.

Now, Kabir did not know how to go for the manofying session as she was damn angry. He looked at Nandini helplessely and she nodded.

"Ignore him Navya, he is a big time foodie anyway. You know, he used to come over to my place after school, literally everyday, just to eat the snacks Maa made for me", she winked at Kabir while Navya smiled in happiness, now having a new thing to tease Kabir.

"Mr. Food hogger, think twice before teasing me now", Navya laughed in excitement while Kabir made a grumpy face.

" Whatever, but Nandini, those days were fun yaar! You guys know what, whenever my mom met her mom, we would get a fusion of Indian and western dishes, all so tasty. And even after we grew up, aunty used to feed both her and me by her own hands", Kabir tried diverting the topic, and he was successful too.

" True! My dad used to bring floweres for my mom, every Sunday, like a ritual, and we would tease them for it!", Navya was so much into the childhood lane, that her eyes had that childish glee, that made others chuckle.

Their trance was broken by ringing of Manik's cell phone, who excused himself to take the call. The rest three, continued to giggle and relish their childhood memories, until Manik came in and addressed Nandini.

"Nandini, that meeting with Mr Desai has been preponed to tomorrow, so I am going to the study to prepare. You guys, continue", he rushed from there without even waiting for the reply.

Navya and Kabir then asked their leave, as it was quite late. Nandini bid them bye and ran in to search for Manik. She had noticed something off with him the moment he had entered back after attending the call. His face was gloomy, and she was sure it wasn't office work. Something was wrong and she could sense it. She went to search him in the study but he was not there. She searched his room, her so called room in the mansion, kitchen and even kaka's room, but he was nowhere to be seen.
Now she was hell worried, where did he disappear all of a sudden?

She was frantically searching for him everywhere while tears were making their way out of her eyes. It was then she noticed the door to a room opened, she was a little shocked because she had always seen that particular room locked. She peeped in to find nothing, the entire room was dark and nothing was visible. It took a while for her eyes to accustom to the darkness around her and then she noticed a figure sitting by the bed, holding something but she could not make out what.

" Manik?", she called out.
No response.

" Manik?", this time a little more loudly.
Still no response.

Scared and worried, she switched on her mobile's flashlight and went towards the switchboards of the room. The lights brightened the room and Nandini turned around to face the figure sittng by the bed only to hear her own heart beats.

She looked beyond him, to notice the room- a king size bed in the middle, lavender and while walls, similar coloured curtains, some very artistic showpeices. It all seemed too classy, but when she noticed the wall behind the bed, her breaths were caught in her throat.

It had a huge picture, a family picture. Mr and Mrs Malhotra with Manik and Nidhi. The realization dawned upon her- It was his parents room, the room she knew he had not entered since that dreadful night of his 19th birthday, the room he craved for and loathed in equal amounts, the room which held thousands of memories, both good and bad.

Her eyes travelled down to the figure sitting on the floor, by the bed rest, holding a photo frame and her breath hitched in her throat looking at him. He was sitting there, his gaze fixed to the photo frame, looking almost lifeless!!!!!!

Nandini felt like something ripped across her heart seeing him sitting like a lifeless body. She went towards him slowly and sat by him on her knees.

" Manik?", a soft whisper echoed. He did not even flinch. It was like anything was not mattering to him. He was in his own world away from everyone and everything. Nandini literally shook him to bring him out of his trance. He shivered at her touch and then looked at her.

"Nan-Nandini! See My Maa!", he stammered looking at her, pointing at the photo and just could not say anything more. He did not know how to tell her what he was feeling. But then she did not need his words to understand him. She could read his silence. She could read his eyes. She just held him from his shoulders and made him look in her eyes.

"Let it out Manik, for once, let it all out. I am here, I promise!", Nandini cupped her face, even though her own voice was cracking. Manik got up from the floor and went towards the window and stood by the support of the wall.

" Maa!", he just whispered one word, looking at the sky, and Nandini felt like her heart was breaking into million pieces seeing him so vulnerable. But before she could react, he collapsed on the ground, breaking down on his knees, tears surfacing down and she ran to hold him in her arms. As soon as she held him in her embrace, he started sobbing loudly.

" Why did she leave me Nandini? Am I that unworthy? Didn't she love me?", His words came out scattered like the pieces of his heart, rendering Nandini speechless. Though all these days she had wanted this, him to vent out his bottled up emotions and fears but today when he was giving them words she did not know how to console him. She herself was badly in tears. She just rubbed his back gently to calm him down and kissed his forehead to sooth him.

"Why Nandini? Why me? Why did my parents had to fight? Why couldn't I get a happy family? One side there is Dad who doesn't care if I live or die and one side it's Maa, who left me alone when I needed her the most? Why?",he was just breaking a bit more by each passing moment and she had no answers to his questions. Her own strength was giving away. But she did not have the option to be weak now, she needed to be strong enough to hold him.

"I am tired Nandini, I am tired of this punishment I am suffering without a sin. Sometimes I feel it would be better if I give up, entirely, on life!", Manik said between his self loathing and Nandini was numb when she heard what he said.

Manik did not realise what he had said but what Nandini felt at the moment cannot be described. She felt like her own life was snatched away. Her trance broke with the weight on her arms and that was when it struck her, he had fainted. She panicked and called for Kaka loudly, her voice strained with unshed tears.

Within a few minutes, a doctor came along with Kabir. Kaka had called him immediately when he saw Nandini's condition. Kabir rushed in and helped to tuck Manik in bed. The doctor checked him and said that it was a panic attack and he had fainted out if stress. He gave an injection to help him bring into consciousness soon. The doctor took his leave and Kabir dropped him till the gate.

On returning back, he saw Manik still had not regained his senses but someone else was also not in her senses. She was just standing like a statue, staring at him. Kabir knew her enough to understand that it was not only because of Manik being unconscious. He went to her and shook her. She looked up at him, eyes saying more than a million words but nothing escaped her mouth. She was just looking at him without blinking her eyes even. Kabir held her hand and brought her into another room and made her sit in the bed. He sat in his knee, on the floor and spoke softly.

" What's wrong, Nandini?", He asked her and she blinked.

Now, Nandini didnot know what to say. All her fears and insecurities were creating havoc in her system. The greatest fear in her mind was of being left alone at the end of the day. And now it felt like it would come true way soon. Like all her efforts in bringing Manik back to life went in vain.

"Kabir, he-he wants to go, go away!", She started sobbing before she could even finish what she had to say, confusing Kabir.

"Go away? Where? Nandini, speak clearly please?", Kabir pestered her and she looked at him, with red eyes full of tears.

" To Aiyappa! He wants to give up on life", she somehow managed to say between her growing wails and then it struck him. May be Manik had wished to die and Nandini was not able to take it. He was just speechless. He did not know what to say to her. He knew her as well as he knew Manik. Both just appeared mature but were lost kids in their own way.

"Nandini nothing will happen to him. We won't let anything go wrong. Trust me. And stop crying, please?", he tried to console her and after some time she relaxed a little and fell asleep. Kabir covered her with the duvet and went to check in on Manik only to find him standing by the window. Seeing him he remembered the broken angel he witnessed a while ago. He just went to him, held him by his shoulder, turned Manik towards him and BANG! The sound of a loud slap echoed in the room!