The morning sun filtered through the curtains, casting a soft glow across the room at Paradise Point. But for Manik, the light brought no comfort. He lay on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling, his mind trapped in a whirlwind of emotions. The events of the previous night played on a loop in his head, the shock, the heartbreak, the helplessness. His world had turned upside down, and he felt as though he was drowning in a sea of uncertainty and pain.

The sound of the door opening barely registered in his mind. Neyonika, Raj, Fab 5, and Abhimanyu quietly entered the room, their faces etched with concern. They had never seen Manik like this-so broken, so lost. Usually, Manik was the one holding everyone together, the one with the strength to face anything. But now, he was a shadow of himself, and they didn't know how to reach him.

Neyonika was the first to move closer, sitting on the edge of the bed and gently placing her hand on Manik's head. The touch seemed to snap him out of his trance, and he jerked up, eyes wide with panic as he frantically asked, "Where's Nandini? Is she okay? I need to see her!"

"Shh, calm down, Manik," Neyonika soothed, trying to keep her voice steady despite the worry gnawing at her. "Nandini is safe. She's with her mother. You need to calm down."

Manik let out a shuddering breath, running his hands through his hair before leaning back against the headboard, his eyes distant and filled with despair. "I'm sorry... I'm sorry I didn't tell you all earlier. I never wanted to hide anything from you. But every time I had to, it felt like a knife in my chest. I was betraying all of you... betraying myself."

His voice cracked with emotion, and Neyonika felt her heart clench at the sight of her son in so much pain. "We're not angry with you, Manik," she assured him. "We just want to understand. What are you going to do now?"

Manik shook his head slowly, his eyes glazing over as he stared at some distant point beyond them. "I don't know... we never expected this. We've been through long distances before, but this... this separation feels different. It's like a part of me has been ripped away. How am I supposed to breathe without her?"

His words hung in the air, heavy with the weight of his anguish. The others exchanged glances, feeling the depth of his pain but unsure of how to help. They had seen Manik go through tough times before, but this was different. This was a pain that they couldn't just fix with a pep talk or a hug.

"Manik," Cabir started, his voice gentle yet firm, "you need to eat something. You can't just sit here and waste away."

Manik shook his head, his expression vacant. "I'm not hungry. I can't even think about food right now."

Mukti, with a knowing look, stepped forward. "Bhai, we're all here for you. You don't have to go through this alone. But you need to take care of yourself, for Nandini's sake. You know she'd want you to eat, right?"

The mention of Nandini seemed to stir something in him, and with a resigned sigh, he nodded. "Fine... I'll eat something."

Neyonika relieved that he had agreed, started to stand up. "I'll make you something. Just tell me where everything is since this is... well, your and Nandini's place."

Manik blinked as if realizing for the first time that they were all in his and Nandini's secret haven. He looked around the room, a flicker of warmth in his eyes as memories of their time here resurfaced. "The kitchen is stocked. We were here a few days ago, and I made sure we had everything we needed. I'll show you where everything is."

He stood up, a little unsteady at first, but determined to keep his promise. Neyonika followed him into the kitchen, and as he opened cabinets and pointed out where things were kept, she couldn't help but notice the tenderness in his voice when he spoke about their time here.

"You know," she began, trying to keep the conversation light, "I'm a bit surprised you know so much about the kitchen. I didn't think cooking was your thing."

Manik gave her a small, almost wistful smile. "I've cooked a few times. Nandini and I... we'd cook together sometimes. It became our little tradition whenever we were here."

Cabir, who had followed them into the kitchen, couldn't resist teasing. "Manik Malhotra, cooking? I never thought I'd see the day! So, does this mean we'll finally get to taste your cooking?"

Dhruv joined in with a smirk. "Yeah, Manik, I'm shocked! You always acted like the kitchen was a foreign land."

Manik's smile grew a little as he looked at them. "I used to tell Nandini that if you guys ever found out I cooked, you'd be shocked. She always laughed about it."

His voice trailed off as he got lost in his thoughts again, the smile fading as quickly as it had appeared. Neyonika, who had been watching him closely, felt a pang of sadness. She could see how deeply he was hurting, and it broke her heart.

Raj, who had been standing in the doorway, walked over and patted Manik on the back. "It'll be okay, son. We'll figure this out together."

Manik nodded, though his eyes were still distant. "I hope so, Dad. I just... I just need her back."

Neyonika squeezed his shoulder gently. "Why don't you go freshen up, Manik? I'll get something ready for you to eat."

Manik hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Yeah... I'll go take a bath."

As he left the kitchen, the others watched him go, the weight of the situation settling heavily on their hearts. They wanted to help, to take away his pain, but they knew that this was something only time and love could heal.

Once Manik was out of earshot, Cabir turned to the others, his usual playful demeanor replaced with concern. "He's really hurting, isn't he?"

Neyonika sighed, running a hand through her hair. "He is. We just have to be here for him, no matter what."

Alia nodded in agreement. "And we will be. He's always been there for us. Now it's our turn."

The group fell into a thoughtful silence, each of them silently vowing to support Manik through this, no matter how long it took.

Nandini was curled up in her bed, her face still wet with the remnants of tears she had cried throughout the night. The emotional exhaustion weighed heavily on her, making sleep her only escape from the pain.

However, the morning light was relentless, streaming through the curtains and nudging her awake. As she slowly stirred, the door to her room creaked open, and Vishakha entered, her eyes immediately landing on Nandini's tear-streaked face.

Vishakha's heart twisted in her chest at the sight of her daughter's distress. She walked over to the bed and gently shook Nandini awake. "Nandini, wake up, beta," she said softly.

Nandini woke with a start, her eyes wide and disoriented. Her first thought was of Manik, and she blurted out, "Manik... where's Manik?"

Vishakha's heart sank, but she forced herself to stay calm, suppressing the anger that threatened to surface. "He's not here, Nandini. You're at home. Freshen up and come for breakfast."

Nandini's expression hardened, and she pulled away from her mother's touch. "Just leave me alone, Mumma. I don't want to talk. I don't want to eat. Just... leave me alone."

The words stung Vishakha, and for a moment, she felt a sharp pang of hurt. But she swallowed it down, knowing that her daughter was overwhelmed and confused. She tried once more, her voice gentle but firm. "Nandini, I understand you're upset, but you need to take care of yourself. We can talk about this-"

"Please, Mumma," Nandini interrupted, her voice trembling with emotion. "I can't do this right now. I just need to be alone. Please."

Vishakha hesitated, her maternal instincts urging her to stay, to fix everything, but the desperation in Nandini's eyes made her nod silently and leave the room, closing the door softly behind her.

As soon as Vishakha was gone, Nandini let out a shaky breath and slid out of bed. She made her way to the washroom, her movements mechanical like she was on autopilot. As she splashed cold water on her face, the events of the previous night crashed over her like a tidal wave.

Every harsh word, every tear, and every moment of helplessness replayed in her mind. Her mother's disapproval, the pain in Manik's eyes, the feeling of being torn between the two most important people in her life-it all came back with a force that nearly took her breath away.

Nandini braced herself against the sink, gripping the edges tightly as she struggled to hold back the fresh wave of tears. But it was no use; they spilled over, unchecked, as she sobbed quietly, the water still running in the background. After what felt like an eternity, she finally composed herself, freshened up, and walked back into her room, feeling drained and empty.

She sat back down on her bed, staring blankly at the floor when the door opened again. This time it was Navya, carrying a tray with breakfast. Nandini looked up, her eyes still red and puffy. "Navya, please... I'm not hungry. Just leave me alone."

Navya, undeterred, set the tray down on the bedside table and sat next to Nandini. "Nandini, you have to eat something. Skipping meals won't solve anything."

Nandini shook her head, her voice barely above a whisper. "I can't, Navya. I can't do this."

Navya reached out and took Nandini's hand in hers, squeezing it gently. "I know it feels like the end of the world right now, but you have to stay strong. For yourself, and for Manik. He needs you to be okay."

At the mention of Manik, Nandini's resolve wavered. She looked at Navya, her eyes filling with tears again. "Navya... I just want to be with him. I can't handle all of this. It's too much."

Navya wrapped her arm around Nandini, pulling her into a comforting hug. "I know, Nandini. I know it's hard. But you have to take it one step at a time. First, eat something, okay? Then we can figure out what to do next."

Nandini nodded weakly, and Navya smiled encouragingly, picking up the tray and offering her a bite. At first, Nandini refused, but Navya persisted, gently coaxing her until she finally took a small bite.

Navya fed her in silence, the weight of the situation hanging heavily in the air. Nandini ate slowly, the food tasteless in her mouth, but she forced herself to swallow, knowing that Navya was right. She needed to stay strong, even though every part of her felt like crumbling.

When the plate was finally empty, Navya set it aside and looked at Nandini with concern. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Nandini shook her head. "Not now. I just... I just want to lie down for a while."

Navya nodded, understanding. "Okay. But remember, I'm here whenever you're ready."

Nandini managed a faint smile. "Thank you, Navya. I don't know what I'd do without you."

Navya hugged her once more before standing up. "You won't have to find out. I'm not going anywhere."

As Navya left the room, Nandini lay back down, curling up under the covers. The darkness was still there, lurking at the edges of her consciousness, but with Navya's support, she felt just a little less alone. She closed her eyes, trying to block out the noise in her head, knowing that she had a long, difficult road ahead.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Hope u all like the chapter.....

Few words for Manik....

Few words for Nandini....

What were your favourite moments???

Thank u 🙂🙂

Love,
Kiara ❤️❤️