Manik sat slumped in the familiar chair by Nandini's bed, his fingers loosely entwined with hers, his thumb gently stroking the back of her hand. His eyes, dark and hollow with sleepless nights, gazed at her still face. His unshaven beard had grown thick and uneven, his once vibrant energy reduced to an exhausted shell. It had been a month since Nandini slipped into this coma, and each day seemed to bleed into the next. He spoke softly, his voice a mere whisper.

"Remember when we first met?" Manik began, his voice strained with fatigue. "You were so stubborn, you know." He chuckled weakly, the sound lacking any real joy. "But I couldn't stop thinking about you. And look at us now. All these years later, and here I am, still talking to you, still needing you."

He closed his eyes for a moment, squeezing her hand tighter. The quiet room was filled with the rhythmic beeping of the machines, but in his mind, it was filled with echoes of their shared laughter, memories of stolen glances, and the feel of her heartbeat next to his. Every word he spoke was both a lifeline and a prayer.

"I never told you this," he continued, his voice cracking, "but every time I look at you, it feels like I’m home. You’re my everything, Nandini. And I can’t lose you now. Please, come back to me."

He thought he felt something for a moment—a slight movement in her fingers. He looked down sharply, eyes wide with hope, but when nothing happened, he shook his head, thinking he must be imagining it. He sighed, returning to his quiet, one-sided conversation.

But then the machines next to her started beeping, louder, more urgent. His eyes darted to the screen—Nandini’s heart rate had spiked, and her chest began to rise and fall rapidly. His heart stopped, and his breath caught in his throat as he saw her fingers twitch ever so slightly.

“Nandini?” he whispered, his voice trembling with fear and hope.

The beeping grew louder. Nandini's body convulsed lightly, her face twisting as though she was fighting against the deep sleep that had held her captive for so long. Manik's eyes widened in shock and desperation. He reached out, his hands shaking as he touched her face gently, but with urgency.

"Nandini! Oh my God...Nandini!" Manik shouted, his voice frantic. His heart pounded in his chest as he jumped up and rushed to the door, shouting for the nurse, for anyone.

“Nurse! Doctor! Somebody help her!”

The medical staff rushed in, pushing past Manik as they surrounded Nandini’s bed. They moved quickly, assessing her, and adjusting the machines. Manik was forced to stand outside the room, separated by a glass door, his fists clenched tightly as he watched in helpless agony. His breaths came out ragged, his chest rising and falling with panic.

"What's happening?!" he demanded, but no one answered him. His voice grew louder, angrier. "Is she okay? Someone answer me!"

A nurse gently ushered him back, trying to calm him down, but the sight of Nandini thrashing on the bed, her body fighting against itself, was too much to bear. He felt like his world was unraveling, coming apart at the seams.

The doctors went in and out of the room, barking orders, adjusting medication, and running tests, but none of them spared Manik a glance. His whole body trembled with fear. It was like he was stuck in a nightmare, watching helplessly as the woman he loved was caught between life and death.

Just then, Mahir and Raj rushed in, followed by Bela, Navya, and Vishakha. Cabir came running down the hallway, his face pale, his eyes filled with dread.

"Manik!" Mahir called out, trying to catch his attention, but Manik was pacing, unable to stand still. His fingers tugged at his hair as he muttered to himself, eyes wide with panic. He couldn't stay calm. Not when Nandini’s life was hanging in the balance.

Raj placed a firm hand on his shoulder, trying to ground him. "Manik, breathe. They’re doing everything they can."

Manik shook him off, his eyes wild. "Everything they can? Look at her!" he yelled, pointing frantically through the window. "She’s in there, struggling! What if she doesn’t—"

He couldn’t finish the sentence. The words lodged painfully in his throat.

Navya and Bela stood together, tears streaming down their faces. Navya’s sobs filled the hallway, her shoulders shaking uncontrollably. "I can’t—" she cried. "I can’t lose her. Please, no."

Bela wrapped her arms around Vishakha, who was weeping silently, her body trembling against the wall. Vikrant and Soha stood by her side, trying to comfort her, but nothing could break the heavy sadness that weighed on all of them.

Vikrant’s voice was soft as he whispered to Vishakha, “She’s strong, Vishakha. She’ll fight. She’ll come back to us.”

Vishakha nodded, though her face remained expressionless, tears flowing freely as she clutched a photograph of Nandini she had been carrying with her.

Cabir was standing a few feet away, his eyes glued to the scene inside the room. He wiped at his face, trying to stay strong, but his body trembled with barely contained sobs. “I don’t know how to do this,” he whispered to Abhimanyu, who had his arm around his shoulders. “She’s my sister. How am I supposed to just stand here and do nothing?”

Abhimanyu tightened his grip on Cabir’s shoulder, his own eyes glassy with unshed tears. "She’ll pull through, Cabir. She has to."

Inside the room, the doctors continued working, and every minute felt like a lifetime. Manik’s pacing grew more frantic, his breath coming in short, desperate gasps. He pressed his face against the glass, his fists pounding the door. “Let me in! Please, I need to be with her!” he cried out, his voice cracking with anguish.

One of the nurses tried to calm him again. “Sir, please, we need you to stay outside. We’re doing our best—”

"Your best isn’t good enough!" Manik shouted, his voice breaking as tears finally spilled down his cheeks. "She’s everything to me! Don’t you understand? She’s my life!"

Mahir and Raj exchanged worried glances, stepping closer to Manik, who was falling apart before their eyes. Raj placed a hand on Manik’s back, rubbing gently, but Manik didn’t even seem to notice.

"She’s slipping away..." Manik whispered, his voice hoarse. "I can feel it. I can’t— I can’t lose her."

Raj’s voice was thick with emotion as he whispered, "Manik, she’s fighting. You have to believe in her."

Time dragged painfully, every second feeling like an eternity. The waiting, the helplessness—it was unbearable. The hallway was filled with the quiet sobs of Navya and Bela, the heavy breathing of Manik as he struggled to hold himself together, and the frantic whispers of hope that passed between the group.

Finally, after what felt like hours, one of the doctors came out, her face stern but not devoid of hope.

"She’s stabilized for now," the doctor said, looking at the anxious faces before her. "We’ve managed to control the situation, but she’s still critical. She’s responding slightly, which is a good sign. But the next few hours are crucial. We don’t think she will make it to."

Manik’s legs almost gave out beneath him. His knees buckled, and he leaned against the wall for support, his face crumpling with relief and exhaustion. He closed his eyes, inhaling deeply as tears continued to stream down his face.

"Can I see her?" Cabir croaked, his voice barely audible.

The doctor nodded. "One at a time. Just for a few minutes."

Without another word, Cabir rushed inside, his heart pounding, his mind spinning. As he stood beside Nandini, his hand trembling as he reached out to touch her face, he whispered, "You’re still here. You’re still with me. You can’t leave me again, I can’t lose you all over again."

Though her eyes remained closed, and her body still looked frail, there was a flicker of hope. She was still fighting.

Behind him, the others watched silently, their hearts heavy but filled with the same fragile hope that maybe, just maybe, Nandini was beginning to find her way back to them.

Inside the hospital room, Cabir sat at Nandini’s bedside, tears running down his face. His fingers trembled as he held her hand, speaking through his sobs.

"Nandini, please wake up," he whispered, his voice cracking. "Please... You have to. I need you. We all need you. How can I do this without you?" His voice broke completely, and he buried his face in his hands. "I don’t know how to be strong anymore..."

Meanwhile, outside the room, Manik was standing with the others, his mind somewhere far away. He was mumbling to himself, his words frantic, broken.

"No... she can’t break her promise... she promised she wouldn’t leave me... she wouldn’t do this..." His voice was low and shaky, barely more than a whisper. "No, never. She’s stronger than this. She has to come back. She can’t leave me."

Without warning, Manik turned and ran from the group, his eyes wild with desperation. Everyone looked at him in shock, and then rushed after him, except for Cabir, who was still inside with Nandini. Manik ran down the hall, his footsteps echoing in the quiet corridor, his breath coming out in harsh gasps as he made his way to the small prayer room at the end of the wing.

He stumbled inside, falling to his knees in front of the deity's idol. His hands clasped together tightly, trembling as he bowed his head, tears streaming down his face.

"Please," he whispered, his voice broken and desperate. "Please, don’t take her away from me. I’m begging you. Don’t do this. Don’t be this cruel to us. She doesn’t deserve this. We don’t deserve this. Send her back, please. I’ll do anything. Just send her back to me."

His words were barely coherent, a jumbled mix of sobs and pleas. Manik pressed his forehead to the floor, his entire body shaking with the force of his tears.

"I can’t lose her," he whispered, his voice cracking. "I can't live without her. Please, don’t take her away. I’ll do anything, just bring her back."

Cabir’s shoulders shook with each breath, his heart heavy with helplessness. He sat there, trying to hold it together, when something stopped him—something small but unmistakable. Nandini's fingers twitched slightly in his hand. He gasped, his teary eyes widening as he watched her eyelids flutter, struggling to open.

"Nandini!" Cabir shouted, his voice rising in a mixture of disbelief and joy. "Nandini! Oh my God, she's waking up! Nurse! Nurse!" He ran to the door, shouting down the hallway for help.

Behind him, the others had followed, standing at the entrance to the prayer room, watching Manik with tears in their eyes. The sight of him, so broken, so lost, shattered their hearts.

Vishakha, who had been standing near the back, suddenly broke down, her knees buckling as she collapsed against the wall, sobbing uncontrollably. Bela rushed to her side, holding her as she cried.

"I did this," Vishakha wept, her voice choked with guilt. "This is my fault. I tried to separate them because of my past... I didn’t want Nandini to get hurt, but I hurt her... I hurt them both. I’m their culprit, Bela. I’m the reason they’re suffering like this."

Bela hugged her tighter, her own tears falling as she tried to comfort Vishakha. "No, don’t say that, Vishakha. You didn’t mean for this to happen. You were just scared. But look at them—they’re strong. Nandini is strong. She’ll fight through this."

Inside the room, the nurse had arrived and was checking on Nandini, who was slowly but surely waking up. Her fingers twitched again, and her eyelids fluttered more noticeably this time. The nurse hurriedly called for the doctor, and in a matter of minutes, a team of doctors rushed in to assess her.

Cabir, his heart racing, stood at the side of the room, unable to stop his tears. His hands were clasped together as if in prayer, his lips trembling as he watched the doctors work. "Please, please let her be okay," he muttered under his breath.

The doctors moved quickly, running tests, and checking her vitals, and after what felt like an eternity, one of them looked up and nodded to the nurse. "She’s out of danger now. She’s waking up. She’s out of the coma."

The words hit Cabir like a wave, and he broke down in tears, barely able to breathe through his sobs. "Thank God... thank God..." he whispered, his whole body shaking with relief.

The doctor approached him, speaking gently. "We’ll need to monitor her closely, but she’s stable. Try not to overwhelm her when she wakes fully. Speak softly, and only allow two or three people in the room at a time. We don’t want to stress her."

Outside the room, everyone was waiting anxiously who came after hearing Cabir’s shout, when the nurse stepped out and gave them the news. "Nandini is awake. She’s asking for Manik."

The joy that swept through the group was immediate and overwhelming. Tears of relief and happiness poured down their faces as they hugged each other, squealing in disbelief. Vishakha, who had been sobbing moments ago, collapsed against Bela, crying tears of joy now.

"She’s okay..." Vishakha whispered, her voice shaking. "She’s really okay..."

Cabir, standing in the doorway, wiped at his eyes, unable to contain his smile. "She’s asking for Manik," the nurse repeated, her voice soft but firm.

Suddenly, everyone realized that Manik hadn’t heard the news yet. He was still kneeling in the prayer room, lost in his desperation. Without wasting another second, Abhimanyu ran down the hallway, his heart pounding as he reached the prayer room where Manik was still kneeling, his forehead pressed against the floor.

"Manik!" Abhimanyu called out, his voice filled with emotion. He knelt beside him, grabbing Manik by the shoulders. "Manik, she’s awake! Nandini’s awake! She’s out of the coma, and she’s asking for you!"

Manik froze, his breath catching in his throat. He lifted his head slowly, his eyes wide with disbelief. "What... what did you say?" he whispered, his voice barely audible.

Abhimanyu’s eyes filled with tears as he smiled, his voice breaking with emotion. "She’s awake, Manik. Nandini is awake, and she’s calling for you."

For a moment, Manik didn’t move. He just knelt there, staring at Abhimanyu, as if he couldn’t comprehend what he had just heard. And then, slowly, the weight of the words sank in. His hands, which had been trembling in prayer, now trembled with hope. Tears welled up in his eyes, and he pressed his hands together, thanking God.

"Thank you... thank you..." he whispered, his voice choking on the words. His tears flowed freely now, a mixture of disbelief and gratitude. He couldn’t move, couldn’t believe it. She was awake. She was really awake.

Abhimanyu placed a hand on his shoulder. "Come on, Manik. She’s waiting for you."

With trembling legs, Manik slowly rose to his feet. His heart was racing, his chest tight with emotion as he made his way down the hallway, his steps heavy with anticipation. The world felt surreal as if he was moving through a dream, each step bringing him closer to the person who had been his entire life.

As he reached Nandini’s room, he paused at the door, his hand resting on the handle. His heart pounded in his chest, and for a brief moment, he felt frozen. What if this was all just a dream? What if she wasn’t really there?

But then he heard it—a soft, weak voice calling his name.

"Manik..."

It was faint, barely audible, but it was real. It was her.
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Hope u all like the chapter.....

Few words for Manik....

Few words for Nandini....

Finally Nandini wake ups....

What were your favourite moments???

Thank u 🙂🙂

Love,
Kiara ❤️❤️